PBINCETON,  N.  J. 

No.  (M,y        Tf^"-: 

No.  Shelf,  Sec^on 

No.  Bool- 


r 


The  Joliii   yi.  Krcbs  Dunation. 


us 


THE 


PROPHET    DANIEL, 


CONSIDERED   IN   A 


SERIES  OF  LESSONS, 


FOR   A 


SUNDAY-SCHOOL. 

TRANSLATED    FROM    THE    FRENCH. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION. 


?  ^^^0 


ADVERTISEMENT. 


These  lessons  were  given  at  Geneva,  to 
the  children  of  a  Sunday  School.  Rapidly 
taken  down  by  a  reporter,  and  afterwards 
corrected  and  written  out  by  him  alone,  they 
necessarily  bore,  with  the  character  of  sim- 
plicity aimed  at  in  giving  them,  that  of  the 
haste  with  which  they  were  transcribed 
and  published.  They  were  originally  litho- 
graphed. 

I  It  has  been  thought  that  they  would  form 
a  useful  work,  were  they  republished,  after 
a  careful  perusal  and  revisal.  Some  expla- 
nations have  been  added  to  the  prophetical 
part,  and  it  is  hoped  that  such  as  they  are, 
they  may  render  a  valuable  service  to  our 
chiuches,  as  well  in  affording,  in  a  form  ac- 
cessible to  all,  an  exposition  of  one  of  the 
most  important  of  the  books  of  prophecy ; 
as  in  presenting  to  our  pastors,  a  sample  of 
that  kind  of  popular  instruction  which  has 
been  adopted  with  such  happy  success,  in 

3 


IV  ADVERTISEMENT. 

Sunday  Schools  in  England,  and  in  the  Pro- 
testant countries  of  Switzerland. 

The  explanation,  which  is  always  pre- 
ceded by  a  hymn  and  prayer,  is  sometimes 
interrupted  by  questions  addressed  to  the 
children,  or  by  the  reading  of  the  passages 
in  the  Bible  referred  to. 

The  verses  for  each  Sunday  should  be 
learned  by  heart:  they  seldom  exceed  the 
number  of  ten.  The  boys  repeat  them,  be- 
fore the  commencement  of  the  lesson,  to  the 
gentleman  who  presides  over  their  form,  and 
the  girls  to  the  ladies,  who  have  the  superin- 
tendence of  them.  All  are  required  to  bring 
their  Bibles,  and  when  a  passage  is  adverted 
to,  the  first  who  finds  it  out,  stands  up  and 
reads  it. 

We  have  entered  into  these  details  for  the 
purpose  of  giving  some  directions  to  those 
fi^-iends  of  the  gospel,  who  may  think  of  pro- 
moting such  a  method  of  instruction  in  our 
churches,  and  also  of  justifying  to  the  reader 
of  these  pages,  the  form  in  which  they  ap- 
pear. For  he  will  find  in  them,  from  time 
to  time,  the  questions  of  the  minister  and  the 
answers  of  the  children,  as  they  were  taken 


ADVERTISEMENT.  V 

down  by  the  reporter,  and  sometimes  also 
the  hymn  and  prayer,  with  which  the  lesson 
began.  We  have  thought  it  better  thus  to 
allow  these  extracts  to  retain  their  natural 
and  primitive  simplicity. 

Should  this  publication  meet  with  a  suc- 
cess answerable  to  our  hopes,  we  propose, 
with  the  Divine  assistance,  to  publish  other 
lessons  of  the  same  catechist,*  on  Genesis, 
Exodus,  Joshua,  and  the  prophet  Jonah. 

It  has  been  the  object  of  the  translator,  to 
condense  the  present  valuable  and  interesting 
work  into  as  small  a  compass  as  possible,  as 
well  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  it  within  the 
reach  of  those  to  whom  its  price  might  have 
been  an  objection,  as  of  inducing  those  to 
read  it,  who  might  have  been  deterred  by 
the  appearance  of  its  bulk.  For  this  purpose 
he  has  merely  indicated,  by  the  chapter  and 
verse,  the  passages  of  Scripture,  which  form 
the  subject  of  the  several  lessons,  instead  of 
quoting  them  at  full  length ;  and  most  of  the 
longer  quotations  throughout  the  work,  are 
given  in  the  same  way.  The  reader  is  there- 
fore requested  to  look  out  for  them  himself 

*  The  Rev.  L.  Gaussen,  of  Geneva. 
1* 


VI  ADVERTISEMENT. 

in  his  Bible,  as  they  will  frequently  be  found 
necessary  for  understanding  the  subsequent 
explanations.  Some  of  the  recapitulations, 
at  the  commencement  of  the  lessons,  and 
other  repetitions,  occurring  in  the  body  of 
them,  which  were  proper,  for  impressing  on 
the  minds  of  the  children  to  whom  they  were 
originally  given,  the  subjects  under  discus- 
sion, are  considerably  curtailed,  and  some- 
times altogether  omitted,  as  being  less  neces- 
sary in  a  printed  book,  where  the  reader  has 
an  opportunity  of  referring,  from  time  to 
time,  to  the  ground  which  he  has  already 
gone  over ;  a  few  passages  of  local  nature, 
and  not  immediately  connected  with  the  sub- 
ject of  the  work,  have  been  suppressed ;  and 
others,  which  were  considered  unnecessarily 
diffuse,  have  been  condensed.  Such  are  the 
chief  abbreviations  which  have  been  adopt- 
ed, and  it  is  hoped  that  they  will  not  be 
fomid  materially  to  detract  from  the  interest 
or  usefulness  of  the  volume  itself. 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL. 


FIRST    LESSON. 
Daniel  i.  1 — 9. 

Let  us  begin  this  lecture  in  the  name  of 
the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost. 

Dear  children,  we  are  about  to  commence 
this  day  the  study  of  the  sacred  book  of 
Daniel,  and  I  expect  your  most  devout  atten- 
tion. I  hope  to  read  it  in  the  countenance 
of  each  of  you ;  I  hope  to  see  your  eyes  fixed 
with  reverence  on  him  who  speaks  to  you ; 
for  he  is  going  to  explahi  the  oracles  of  God. 

At  the  same  time,  while  I  myself  open  be- 
fore you  this  ancient  and  sacred  book  of 
prophecy,  I  shall  lift  up  my  thoughts  and  my 
prayers  to  that  God  who  dictated  it  by  his 
Spirit  to  his  servant  Daniel,  and  I  shall  sup- 
plicate him  to  vouchsafe  to  us  all,  this  day, 
the  assistance  of  that  same  Spirit ;  to  me, 
that  I  may  be  enabled  to  enter  into  its  real 
meaning ;  to  you,  that  you  may  be  able  to 
understand  it ;  and  to  our  brethren  here,  that 
they  may  be  edified  by  it ;  in  a  word,  to  all, 

7 


8  FIRST    tESSON. 

that  we  may  learn  to  pray  as  Daniel  prayed ; 
to  love  Jesus,  as  Daniel  loved  him ;  to  hmn- 
ble  ourselves,  to  believe,  to  obey,  to  surren- 
der ourselves  up  to  him,  as  that  prophet, 
whom  the  scripture  calls  "  a  man  greatly  be- 
loved'^ of  God,  was  taught,  from  his  earliest 
years  to  do. 

Indeed,  my  friends,  one  of  my  principal 
reasons  for  choosing  the  book  of  Daniel  as 
the  subject  of  our  meditations  was,  because 
the  Bible  represents  this  prophet  as  pious 
from  his  tenderest  youth.  I  thought  that  the 
life  and  writings  of  this  man  of  God  could 
not  fail  to  have  a  peculiar  interest  in  yoiu: 
eyes,  when  you  learned  that  at  the  early  age 
of  twelve,  he  had  turned  his  youthful  heart 
towards  heaven,  in  the  midst  of  his  afflic- 
tions, and  had  given  himself  up  unreservedly 
to  the  service  of  his  heavenly  Father. 

It  is  generally  supposed  that  Daniel  had 
not  yet  reached  his  fourteenth  or  fifteenth 
year,  when  the  king  of  Babylon  laid  siege  to 
Jerusalem,  put  to  death  a  part  of  his  family, 
and  reduced  him  to  slavery.  At  this  tender 
age  he  was  weighed  in  the  balance  of  the 
sanctuary,  and  was  not  found  wanting.  The 
Lord  tried  him,  and  he  showed  himself  faith- 
ful. He  saw  the  hosts  of  the  Chaldeans  arrive 
before  the  city  of  his  fathers ;  he  witnessed 
all  the  horrors  of  a  protracted  siege  ;  part  of 
the  royal  family  were  made  prisoners  ;  and 
he  himself  was  carried  away  captive,  far 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  9 

from  the  land  of  his  infancy,  into  a  country 
of  idolaters  and  a  house  of  bondage,  among 
a  people  of  a  strange  tongue. 

And  this,  my  dear  children,  must  have 
been  much  more  painful  to  Daniel  than  it 
would  have  been  to  you,  for  example,  and 
many  others  ;  because  he  belonged  to  a  race 
of  kings.  You  can  conceive  what  would  be 
your  feelings  if  a  foreign  army,  after  laying 
our  city  in  ruins  and  putting  its  inhabitants 
to  death,  Avere  to  take  some  of  you,  and  load- 
ing you  with  chains,  to  carry  you  away  into 
some  remote  part  of  Austria,  Poland,  or  Si- 
beria, there  to  be  employed  as  slaves  in  the 
service  of  strange  masters.  But  to  Daniel 
this  was  much  more  dreadful.  He  had  passed 
his  life  in  the  midst  of  pomp  and  luxury ; 
and,  young  as  he  was,  he  was  accustomed  to 
receive  every  mark  of  homage  and  respect ; 
he  was  the  offspring  of  kings;  the  great 
Hezekiah  was  his  ancestor. — Who  could 
have  thought,  a  short  time  before  the  coming 
of  the  Babylonians,  that  this  young  person, 
so  amiable  and  so  loved,  would  be  called  at 
such  an  early  age  to  endure  the  most  fright- 
ful reverses  of  fortune,  and  the  most  violent 
storms  of  life  ? 

But  here,  before  we  proceed  further,  per- 
mit me  to  make  one  observation.  You  re- 
member what  I  said  to  you,  some  weeks 
ago,  in  speaking  of  the  sin  of  Achan,  and 
the  punishment  of  the  whole  people  of  Is- 


10  FIRST    LESSON. 

rael  before  the  walls  of  Ai.  I  observed  that 
God,  in  his  dealings  with  families  in  this 
world,  was  sometimes  pleased  to  permit  the 
children  to  bear  the  iniquity  of  their  fathers. 
Well,  then,  here  you  behold  the  young  Dan- 
iel carried  as  a  captive  into  the  country  of 
Shinar  ;  and  thus  was  accomplished,  in  the 
person  of  this  amiable  youth,  the  judgment 
which  the  Lord  had  long  before  denoimced 
against  his  forefather,  Hezekiah. 

Hezekiah,  king  of  Judah,  had  become  sick 
of  a  mortal  disease.  Laid  upon  a  bed  of 
suffering,  and  desiring  exceedingly  to  be  re- 
stored, he  tm'ned  his  face  to  the  wall,  and 
with  many  tears  poured  out  his  heart  in  fer- 
vent supplications.  The  Lord  heard  and 
answered  him ;  and  in  his  great  mercy,  pro- 
mised by  the  mouth  of  liis  prophet,  to  add 
fifteen  years  to  his  life.  Soon  after  his  reco- 
very, however,  he  fell  into  a  sin  which  ap- 
peared very  grievous  in  the  eyes  of  God. 
The  king  of  Babylon,  a  great  warrior,  who 
lived  at  a  distance  of  600  miles  from  him, 
sent  ambassadors  to  congratulate  him  on  his 
restoration.  Hezekiah,  who  was  little  more 
than  convalescent,  left  his  room  to  conduct 
the  ambassadors  through  his  palace,  and  to 
show  them  all  his  treasures.  Had  we  been 
there,  we  would  probably  have  gone  through 
the  royal  apartments,  and  the  chambers  of 
the  house  of  God,  with  the  envoys  of  the 
Babylonian  kmg,  and  have  admired  the  ves- 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  11 

sels  of  gold  and  all  the  magnificence  of  He- 
zekiah,  without  perceiving  that  his  heart  was 
guilty  of  any  great  offence.  A  man  often 
commits  sins  which  do  not  appear  to  the  eyes 
of  others,  because  they  are  sins  of  thought, 
and  because  God  alone  knows  the  conscience 
and  the  heart.  But  it  would  seem  there  ex- 
isted in  the  mind  of  this  prince,  on  his  reco- 
vering from  his  illness,  a  feeling  of  pride  and 
ingratitude,  which  the  Almighty  alone  knew, 
and  which  was  supremely  displeasing  to 
him.  God  looks  not,  like  us,  at  the  outward 
appearance,  but  at  the  heart ;  and  in  every 
judgment  which  he  forms  of  us,  he  takes 
account  of  the  favours  which  we  have  re- 
ceived. Hence,  the  Lord  declared,  that  the 
sin  of  Hezekiah  should  not  pass  unpunished ; 
but  that,  to  give  a  striking  lesson  to  his  coun- 
try, his  family,  and  future  ages,  all  his  trea- 
sures should  shortly  be  carried  away  by  the 
king  of  Babylon,  and  his  sons  themselves 
become  eunuchs  and  slaves  to  these  foreign 
princes. 

Read  the  thirty-ninth  chapter  of  Isaiah  for 
me.     (One  of  the  children  reads.) 

It  was  thus,  then,  that  young  Daniel  was 
called  to  bear  the  iniquity  of  his  father. — 
But  was  there  any  injustice  in  this  dispensa- 
tion of  God  ? 

No. 

I  told  you  a  short  time  ago,  in  speaking  of 
the  sin  of  Achan,  what  children  ought  to  say, 


12  FIRST    LESSON. 

when  they  find  themselves  in  unhappy  cir- 
cumstances, througl],  the  misconduct  of  a  pa- 
rent, or  of  some  distant  ancestor.  Do  you 
remember  what  it  was  ? 

They  ought  to  say  three  things. 

And  what  is  the  first  ? 

0  my  God !  I  am  indeed  very  miserable ; 
but  I  deserve  to  be  a  thousand  times  more 
miserable  for  my  own  sins. 

Yes ;  and  in  this  point  of  view  Daniel  had 
reason  to  say :  0  God !  I  have  no  right  to  com- 
plain, for  I  am  a  sinner ;  thou  sendest  me  into 
Chaldea,  but  it  is  to  hell  I  have  deserved  to 
go,  for  my  iniquities ;  and  yet  thou  hast  de- 
livered me  from  it ;  thou  hast  been  merciful 
unto  me  !  And  such  will  be  the  first  feeling 
of  the  Christian  when  he  suffers  through  the 
fault  of  another ;  he  will  begin  by  humbling 
himself;  he  will  take  a  view  of  all  his  past 
ingratitude,  all  his  past  transgressions;  he 
will  receive  whatever  is  sent  to  him,  as  com- 
ing from  the  hand  of  God,  ever  full  of  jus- 
tice as  of  mercy.  But  tell  me  what  is  the 
second  reflection. 

0  my  God !  I  am  indeed  in  trouble ;  but 
thou,  I  trust,  wilt  make  my  aflliction  turn  to 
my  soul's  good. 

Yes  ;  and  often  we  are  most  blessed  when 
we  are  most  deeply  afllicted.  It  is  then  that 
we  are  most  disposed  to  serious  reflection ;  it 
is  then  that  we  open  our  Bibles,  and  feel  that 
in  them  is  our  treasure  and  our  refuge.     It  is 


THE   PROPHET   DANIEL.  l3 

then  we  learn  humility,  cultivate  the  spirit  of 
prayer,  and  say,  with  David :  "  Blessed  is  the 
man  whose  iniquities  are  forgiven,  and  unto 
whom  the  Lord  imputeth  not  sin."  And  thus 
it  was  with  Daniel. 

Yes ;  never  was  a  young  man  more 
blessed  of  God  than  he  was  in  a  strange  land. 
He  became,  in  his  captivity,  as  I  shall  pre- 
sently show  you,  the  holiest  of  the  servants 
of  God.  He  received  his  affliction  with 
prayer  to  the  Almighty,  that  it  might  be 
sanctified  to  him ;  and  at  the  last  day,  doubt- 
less, he  will  have  reason  to  adore  the  divine 
mercy  for  those  years  of  sorrow,  more  than 
for  all  those  of  his  prosperity.  But  tell  me 
now,  what  is  the  third  reflection,  which  the 
Christian  ought  to  make,  when  he  finds  him- 
self in  circumstances  like  those  of  Daniel. 

0  God  !  though  I  am  now  very  unhappy, 
yet  thou  wilt  comfort  me  in  a  few  days. 

Yes ;  truly,  my  children !  Yet  a  little 
while,  and  Jesus  shall  come  and  wipe  away 
all  tears  frbm  our  eyes.  He  cometh ;  his  re- 
ward is  with  him ;  and  the  sufferings  of  this 
present  time  are  not  worthy  to  be  compared 
with  the  glory  which  shall  be  revealed  in  the 
children  of  God. 

Are  we  to  be  for  ever  in  this  world  ? 

No. 

Where  shall  we  go  to  if  we  be  children  of 
God? 

To  heaven. 
2 


14  FIRST   LESSON. 

If  then  heaven  be  our  destination,  we  may 
rejoice  in  the  midst  of  tribulation.  If  a  httle 
Swiss  Uving  in  America,  far  off  from  all  that 
was  dear  to  him,  were  to  be  told  that  he 
should  soon  be  brought  back  to  his  own 
comitry,  to  his  father  and  mother,  sisters  and 
brothers,  and  all  the  endearments  of  home  ; 
but,  that  in  order  to  return  to  his  native  land, 
he  would  be  obliged  to  embark  on  board  a 
very  incommodious  vessel,  where  he  would 
be  badly  fed  and  clothed,  and  exposed  to  a 
great  deal  of  hard  treatment,  do  you  think 
he  would  feel  very  unhappy  in  that  misera- 
ble vessel  ?  Would  he  Avish  to  be  out  of  it  ? 
Oh,  no  !  but  he  would  say  to  himself,  I  am 
going  to  my  beloved  country,  where  every 
joy  awaits  me,  and  every  comfort  will  be 
restored  to  me  !  Then  no  more  tears,  no 
more  weeping,  no  more  pain,  no  more  sorrow ; 
my  father,  my  mother,  my  sisters, my  brothers, 
will  wipe  away  all  tears  from  my  eyes. 

Now  remember  these  three  reflections  and 
these  three  considerations. 

But  before  we  enter  into  an  explanation  of 
this  admirable  book,  I  wish  to  show  you 
what  the  scripture  tells  us  of  the  character 
of  Daniel,  as  this,  no  doubt,  will  dispose  you 
to  read  with  more  reverence  and  attention, 
the  predictions  and  actions  of  this  extraordi- 
nary servant  of  God.  There  is  not,  perhaps, 
in  the  whole  Bible,  a  person  of  whom  the 
Spirit  of  God  has  spoken  in  more  honoura- 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  15 

ble  terms.  He  is  distinguished  by  traits, 
which  seem  to  place  him  above  all  the  men 
of  ancient  times,  without  exception.  I  shall 
mention  some  of  them. 

And  first,  let  us  open  the  tenth  chapter. 
We  there  find  the  angel  Gabriel,  calling  him 
"  a  man  greatly  helovedP  "  0  Daniel,  a 
man  greatly  beloved,  understand  the  words 
that  I  speak  unto  thee.  Fear  not ;  peace  be 
unto  thee,  yea,  be  strong.^' 

Again,  if  we  open  the  book  of  Ezekiel, 
we  shall  see  what  an  astonishing  respect  that 
prophet,  who,  notwithstanding,  was  his  con- 
temporary and  some  years  older,  had  for 
Daniel,  or  to  speak  more  correctly,  we  shall 
see  what  an  estimation  the  Lord  himself  had 
for  his  servant.     See  Ezekiel  xxviii.  2,  3. 

The  prophet  there  rebuking  the  pride  of 
the  king  of  Tyre,  says  to  him  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord :  "  Behold,  thine  heart  is  lifted  up, 
and  thou  hast  said,  I  am  God.  Behold,  thou 
art  wiser  than  Daniel ;  there  is  no  secret  that 
they  can  hide  from  thee  !" 

Now,  it  was  of  tlie  living  Daniel  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  declared  these  words ;  but  there 
are  others  still  more  remarkable.  Thus  in 
Ezekiel  xiv.  1 3 — 20,  you  will  find  the  Lord 
saying :  "  Son  of  man,  when  the  land  sinneth 
against  me — though  these  three  men,  Noah, 
Daniel,  and  Job,  were  in  it,  they  should  de- 
liver but  their  own  souls  by  their  righteous- 


16  FIRST    LESSON. 

ness;  they  should  deUver  neither  sons  nor 
daughters." — What,  I  ask,  must  have  been 
the  measure  of  grace  which  filled  the  heart 
of  the  man  of  God,  that  the  Lord  should  put 
such  language  into  the  mouth  of  his  prophet 
Ezekiel,  concerning  him,  while  he  was  yet 
alive  ?  He  associates  him  with  the  most  dis- 
tinguished men  of  prayer  that  ever  had  ex- 
isted; and  to  find  two  men  in  sacred  history, 
with  Avhom  to  compare  him,  he  is  obliged  to 
go  back  900  years  into  the  past,  to  seek  out 
the  admirable  Job  ;  and  then  1700  years  far- 
ther, to  find  the  incomparable  Noah — Noah, 
the  man  of  the  deluge,  who  alone  survived 
an  entire  world.  "  Though  there  stood  be- 
fore me  these  three  men,  Noah,  Daniel,  and 
Job,  yet  would  I  not  pardon." 

Well,  then,  you  here  see  what  the  child 
Daniel  became.  He  was,  it  it  true,  greatly 
afflicted,  in  his  younger  days  ;  he  was  made 
prisoner  by  the  cruel  Chaldeans ;  torn  from 
the  embraces  of  his  parents  after  the  taking 
of  the  city,  and  carried  away  into  a  strange 
land ;  but  what  was  the  consequence  ?  He 
was  led  to  give  up  his  heart  more  entirely  to 
the  Lord ;  he  became  more  and  more  fond 
of  the  word  of  God ;  he  read  it,  studied  it, 
prayed  over  it  with  fervency  ;  and  God,  ever 
faithful  and  true,  filled  him  with  tbe  richest' 
and  most  precious  spiritual  graces.  If  then 
any  of  you,  dear  children,  whom  I  address, 


THE    PROPHET   DANIEL.  17 

are  called  to  endure  suffering  or  affliction,  do 
like  Daniel ;  take  your  Bible  like  him,  and 
hope  in  the  same  God. 

I  shall  now  proceed  to  the  consideration  of 
cm'  verses. 

"  In  the  third  year  of  Jehoiakim,  king  of 
Judah,  came  Nebuchadnezzar,  king  of  Baby- 
lon, unto  Jerusalem,  and  besieged  it.'^ 

It  is  necessary,  for  the  right  understanding 
of  the  book  of  Daniel,  that  you  should  be  able 
to  form  a  correct  notion  of  the  place  where 
he  abode,  and  of  the  time  when  he  lived. 

"  Do  you  know  what  the  science,  which 
teaches  the  knowledge  of  places,  is  called?" 

"  Geography." 

"  And  that  which  treats  of  the  knowledge 
of  times  ?" 

"  Chronology." 

Well  then,  it  is  important  that  you  should 
be  acquainted  with  the  geography  and  chro- 
nology of  the  book  of  Daniel;  and  I  shall, 
therefore,  frequently  direct  your  attention  to 
them,  during  the  course  of  these  lectiues. 

In  our  last  lecture,  we  were  in  the  days  of 
Joshua,  as  it  regards  time;  and  in  the  land 
of  Canaan,  as  it  regards  place.  To-day,  we 
are,  in  regard  to  time,  in  the  days  of  Nebu- 
chadnezzar ;  and,  in  regard  to  place,  in  the 
far  distant  country  of  Babylon,  by  the  great 
river  Euphrates.  Let  us  speak  of  the  time. 
In  my  ^receding  lectures,  I  explained  to 
2* 


18  FIRST    LESSON. 

you  the  books  of  Genesis  and  Exodus,  and, 
subsequently,  that  of  Joshua.  This  brought 
us  down  to  the  period  when,  the  children  of 
Israel  having  grown  up  to  be  a  great  people, 
in  Egypt,  Moses  was  sent  to  deliver  them ; 
and,  after  his  death,  that  holy  man  Joshua 
was  placed  at  their  head,  to  lead  them  over 
Jordan,  and  to  conduct  them  into  the  land  of 
Canaan. 

We  now  pass  over  the  whole  time  of  the 
Judges,  of  Samuel,  David,  Solomon,  and  all 
the  Kings,  until  the  days  when  the  kingdom 
of  Judah  had  become  so  corrupt  and  wicked, 
that  the  Lord  determined  to  destroy  Jerusa- 
lem, and  to  send  all  the  Jews  into  captivity 
for  seventy  years,  in  a  strange  land. 

The  king  whom  the  Lord  selected  for  this 
purpose,  was  the  Emperor  of  Babylon,  who, 
as  we  shall  see,  was  a  kind  of  Bonaparte. 
But  while  he  resolved  to  visit  them  with 
judgments,  he  prepared  for  them,  during  their 
bondage,  a  great  consolation  in  the  prophet 
Daniel,  who  was  still  a  very  young  man. 

To  assist  you  in  understanding  the  chro- 
nology of  the  book  of  Daniel,  I  have  drawn 
up  for  you  a  table  of  the  principal  epochs  in 
the  history  of  the  world ;  and,  for  its  geogra- 
phy, you  must  ask  your  parents  at  home  to 
show  you  the  country  of  Babylon  (which  is 
also  called  Shinar  and  Chaldea)  on  the  map. 
You  will  see  that  it  is  situated  on  the  banks 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL. 


19 


of  the  river  Euphrates,  at  a  great  distance 
from  Jerusalem,  towards  the  East.  Here  is 
the  chronological  table.  You  will  perceive  I 
have  set  down  the  most  important  dates  in 
roimd  numbers. 


TABLE  OF  DATES. 

BEFORE   CHRIST, 

AFTER  CHRIST. 

Years. 

Years. 

4000     The  Creation  of  Man. 

14    The    Emperor    Csesar 

3000     Enoch  translated. 

Augustus  dies.    Tiberius 

2250     Universal  Deluge. 

succeeds  him. 

2000     Death   of   Noah- 

26    Pontius    Pilate  made 

Abraham  born. 

Governor  of  Jerusalem 

1450     Joshua   passes  the 

by  Tiberius. 

Jordan. 

33  "Our  Lord  dies  upon  the 

1000     Solomon  builds  the 

cross. 

Temple. 

68    St.   Paul  beheaded  at 

900     Elijah  taken  up  into 

Rome. 

Heaven. 

70    Jerusalem    destroyed 

800     Jonah  prophecies. 

bv  the  Romans. 

700     Isaiah  finishes  his 

312  'Constantine,  the  Ro- 

prophecies. 

man  Emperor,  declares 

600     Daniel  prophesies  to 

himself  a  Christian. 

the  year  534. 

606    The   Bishop  of  Rome 

400     Malachi  the  last  of 

receives  the  name  of  uni- 

the prophets. 

versal  Pope  in  the  West. 

300     The  Grecian  empire  is 

Mahomet  gives  himself 

divided  into  four  parts. 

out  as  a  prophet  in  the 

200     The  Romans   begin 

East. 

to  destroy  it. 

100     Cfesar  and  Pompey 

were  born. 

63     Pompey  takes  Jeru- 

salem. 

40     Herod  named  King 

by  the  Romans. 

0      Christian   Era.    Birth 

of  Jesus  Christ. 

What  is  a  century  ? 

A  hundred  years. 

The  creation  of  man  tool?  place  4000  years 


20  FIRST    LESSON. 

before  Christ.     How  many  centuries  was 
that? 

Forty. 

The  dekige  happened  in  the  year  2350 
B.  c.  How  many  centmies  was  that  before 
Christ  ? 

Twenty-three  and  a -half. 

The  event  which  we  next  read  of,  is  the 
passage  of  Jordan,  by  Joshua.  How  many 
centuries  was  that  before  Jesus  Christ  ? 

Fourteen  and  a-half. 

We  have  next  the  foundation  of  the 
Temple.     By  whom  was  it  built  ? 

By  Solomon. 

Whose  son  was  he  ? 

David's. 

What  year  before  Christ  was  the  temple 
built. 

The  year  1000. 

Lastly,  we  come  to  the  days  of  Daniel,  and 
of  the  captivity.  This  is  the  epoch  about 
which  we  are  now  going  to  read.  How 
many  years .  before  Christ  was  Daniel  led 
away  captive  into  Babylon  ? 

Six  hundred  years. 

I  have  further  noted  down  some  of  the 
principal  events  between  Daniel  and  Jesus 
Christ.  Pompey  and  Csssar,  the  two  great- 
est Roman  generals,  were  born  a  century 
before  Christ.  Pompey  took  Jerusalem 
sixty-three  years  before  Christ;  and,  after- 
wards, Caesar  having  vanquished  Pompey, 


THE    PROPHET   DANIEL.  21 

appointed  Herod  king  of  the  Jews  under  the 
Romans. 

Thus  the  Romans  had  been  masters  of 
Palestine  sixty-three  years,  when  our  Lord 
was  born ;  and  Jerusalem  had  been  nearly 
100  years  in  their  power,  when  he  died 
under  the  governor  Pontius  Pilate,  who 
was  a  general  of  the  Roman  cavalry. 

What  happened  in  the  year  sixty-eight  ? 

St.  Paul  was  beheaded  at  Rome. 

And  what  happened  in  the  year  seventy  ? 

The  Jews  having  rebelled  agamst  the  Ro- 
mans, the  Emperor  Titus  destroyed  their  city 
and  dispersed  them  over  the  earth. 

How  long  has  that  dispersioii  continued  ? 

Nearly  1800  years. 

Let  us  return  to  the  explanation  of  our 
verses. 

"  In  the  third  year  of  the  reign  of  Jehoia- 
kim,  king  of  Judah,  came  Nebuchadnezzar, 
king  of  Babylon,  into  Jerusalem,  and  be 
sieged  it.'^ 

Now  you  must  not  suppose  that  all  this 
happened  by  the  will  of  this  heathen  king, 
or  by  the  chances  of  war.  It  is  probable, 
indeed,  that  the  men  of  that  time,  on  reading 
the  news  of  the  day,  inquired,  like  those  of 
our  own  time,  when  they  peruse  the  public 
papers :  "What  is  the  king  of  Babylon  doing? 
Is  the  city  of  Jerusalem  strong  enough  to  sus- 
tain a  siege  ?  Is  the  Jewish  army  well  com- 
manded ?'^  and  that  without  looking  up  to 


22  FIRST    LESSON, 

that  God,  "  who  overthroweth  kmgs,  and 
estabhsheth  kings/'  and  of  whom  it  is  said, 
"  the  horse  is  prepared  for  the  day  of  battle  ; 
but  the  Lord  giveth  the  victory."  But  hear 
what  the  scripture  saith,  verse  2. 

It  does  not  say,  "  Jehoiakim  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  king  of  Babylon,"  but  "  the 
Lord  gave  Jehoiakim  into  his  hand."  And 
hence  we  are  told  of  the  celebrated  David 
Bogue,  that  when  he  took  up  the  papers  in 
the  time  of  Napoleon,  to  read  what  was 
passing,  he  would  sometimes  say,  as  he  spread 
them  out  before  him,  "  Let  us  see  how  my 
God  governs  the  world." 

Thus,  then,  the  Lord,  to  punish  the  whole 
Jewish  nation,  and  to  warn  them,  by  pre- 
vious humiliations,  before  he  destroyed  their 
city  and  temple,  as  he  did  nineteen  years 
after,  delivered  the  princes  of  Judah,  the 
vessels  of  the  temple,  and  the  treasures  of 
the  nation,  into  the  hands  of  the  king  of 
Babylon.  Nebuchadnezzar  carried  a  part 
of  them  away  with  him,  and  as  a  trophy  of 
his  victory,  placed  them  in  the  temple  of  his 
God. 

But  this  was  not  all :  to  give  the  greater 
lustre  to  his  victory,  and  to  get  into  his  pos- 
session so  many  hostages  against  the  Jews, 
he  commanded  the  governor  of  his  household 
to  select  the  noblest,  most  com^ely,  and  most 
intelligent  of  the  Jewish  youth,  and  to  trans- 
fer them  to  Babylon,  to  serve  as  slaves  in  his 


THE   PROPHET    DANIEL.  23 

royal  palace.  Among  those  there  were  four 
more  remarkable  than  the  rest,  Daniel,  Han- 
aniah,  Mishael,  and  Azariah.  Their  names, 
which  are  Hebrew,  had  all  a  meaning. 
Daniel  sis^nifies,  "God is  my  judge;"  Aza- 
riah, "  the  Lord  is  my  help  ;"  and  Hananiah, 
"  the  grace  of  God."  But  as  they  were  now 
slaves  of  the  king,  Ashpenaz  obliged  them 
to  assume  Chaldean  names ;  Daniel,  that  of 
Belteshazzar,  and  the  three  others,  Shadrach, 
Meshach,  and  abednego. 

Such,  my  brethren,  are  the  ways  of  the 
Lord.  Daniel  was  an  amiable  and  pious 
youth,  and  his  piety  was  the  more  remarka- 
ble, as  the  time  in  which  he  lived  was  one 
of  great  licentiousness  and  unbelief.  Who 
would  not  have  wondered  at  seeing  this 
young  prince,  the  hope  of  the  nation,  carried 
away  to  the  court  of  a  heathen  prmce  ?  Who 
would  not  have  thought  that  he  Avas  utterly 
lost?  But  the  Lord  intended  this  to  effect 
great  things;  he  designed  to  make  use  of  him 
for  the  conversion  of  the  greatest  monarch 
upon  earth  ;  Nebuchadnezzar  on  his  throne 
was  to  glorify  God ;  Daniel  was  to  govern 
provinces  ;  he  was  to  protect  his  people,  and 
to  bring  many  souls  among  the  heathsn  to 
the  knowledge  of  his  God. 


SECOND    LESSON. 
Daniel  i.  10 — 18. 

There  is  a  passage  in  the  gospel  of  St. 
Luke  which  frequently  comes  to  my  mind, 
when  I  look  upon  the  countenance  of  a  child. 
It  is  that  in  which  we  are  told  what  was  said 
of  the  infant  John,  when  he  was  circmncised 
in  the  temple,  after  the  miraculous  signs 
which  accompanied  the  first  scenes  of  his 
hfe  :  "  What  manner  of  child  shall  this  be  ?" 
And,  doubtless,  this  is  a  question  which 
suggests  itself  to  many  of  us  here,  when 
we  see  you  taking  your  places  on  these 
benches,  with  your  bibles  in  your  hands.  It 
is  difficult,  at  such  a  moment,  not  to  ask, 
"  what  manner  of  children  shall  these  be  ? 
Shall  they  become  real  Christians  ?  Shall 
they  go  to  heaven?"  True,  indeed,  we  cannot 
answer  such  questions  with  entire  certainty ; 
for  "  the  Lord  above  knoweth  them  that  are 
his."  Yet  there  is  another  passage  which 
bears  on  this  subject,  and  which  has  also 
often  struck  me.  You  will  find  it  in  Prov. 
XX.  1 1 : — "  Even  a  child  is  known  by  his 
doings,  whether  his  work  be  pure,  and 
whether  it  be  right." 

It  is  true,  that  God  can,  if  he  pleases,  con- 
24 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  25 

vert  the  most  hardened  of  his  creatures ;  he 
can  change  the  heart  of  a  child,  and  he  can 
regenerate  the  hoary-headed  sinner,  treading 
on  the  verge  of  the  grave  ;  but  it  is  not  less 
certain,  that  when  we  see  a  child,  who  has 
turned  his  young  heart  to  God ;  when  we 
find  him  submitting  to  the  authority  of  the 
Bible ;  when  we  have  reason  to  believe,  that 
his  conscience  looks  not  merely  to  men,  but 
to  God ;  that  when  he  has  done  wrong,  he 
weeps,  not  because  he  fears  punishment,  or 
the  shame  of  detection,  but  because  he  has 
offended  God — then,  I  think,  we  may  say, 
almost  with  certamty,  here  is  one  of  the  elect; 
here  is  an  angel  in  the  cradle ;  here  is  an 
immortal  being,  who  shall  one  day  have  his 
place  in  heaven  among  the  angels  of  God. 
Do  we  not  see   the  Spirit  of  God  already 
working  upon  his  youthful  conscience,  and 
preparing  it  for  eternal  mansions  ?     Is  not 
this  child  already  known  by  his  doings  ? — 
Now,  thus  it  was  with  Daniel.     We  see  him 
from  his  earlier  days  turning  with  all  his 
heart  to  the  Lord,  and  we  see  him,  at  the 
same  time,  experiencing  in  his  own  person 
the  truth  of  those  words,  "  Whom  the  Lord 
loveth  he  chasteneth,"  and  "  he  chooseth  his 
people  in  the  furnace  of  ai!liction.''     While 
a  mere  youth,  he  is  exposed  to  the  severest 
trials,  he  is  torn  from  the  arms  of  his  parents, 
and  carried  away  captive  into  a  foreign  land. 
But  the  love  of  God  was  in  his  heart ;  he 
3 


26  SECOND    LESSON. 

had  given  himself  up  to  him ;  and  you  will 
see  that  his  whole  desire  was  to  manifest  to 
him  that  faithfulness  which  he  felt  he  owed 
him. 

"He  pui-posed"  something  "in  his  heart," 
we  read  in  verse  8. 

What  was  his  resolution,  on  setting  out  for 
Babylon  ?  Did  he  determine  to  resign  him- 
self to  despair  ?  No  !  he  had  faith.  Did 
he  at  least  resolve  to  seek  amusements,  amid 
the  pomps  and  pleasures  of  that  sumptuous 
metropolis  ?  No  !  he  had  lost  his  father  and 
mother,  but  he  could  lift  up  his  heart  to  God 
and  say,  Thou,  0  my  God,  wilt  be  a  father  to 
me  !  And  as  we  read  in  that  verse  which 
we  have  just  repeated,  (8,)  "  he  purposed  in 
his  heart,"  whatever  might  be  the  conse- 
quences, "  not  to  defile  himself,"  but  to  be 
faithful  to  the  Lord,  and  to  seek  his  consola- 
tion in  him  alone.  I  imagine  I  see  the  amiable 
and  noble  youth  travelling,  in  the  midst  of 
his  guards,  to  Chaldea,  with  a  few  tears,  per- 
haps, in  his  eyes,  but  with  resignation  and 
peace  in  his  soul,  serenity  in  his  countenance, 
and  adoration  and  prayer  on  his  lips.^  I  see 
him  recalling  to  mind,  and  repeating  the 
psalms  of  his  ancestor,  David,  "  If  thy  law 
had  not  been  my  delight,  I  had  perished  in 
mine  affliction;  but  I  have  taken  thy  testi- 
monies for  mine  heritage :  they  are  the  joy 
of  my  heart."  "  When  my  father  and  mo- 
Uier  forsake  me,  the  Lord  will  take  me  up." 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  27 

Yes,  "  0  my  God,  thou  art  my  Fathei  thou 
art  my  hiding-place,  thou  art  my  consola- 
tion ;  thou  shalt  preserve  me  from  trouble, 
thou  shalt  compass  me  about  with  songs  of 
deliverance  !" 

My  dear  children,  if  any  of  you  should 
be  so  unhappy  as  to  lose  your  father  or 
mother,  or  both,  (and  I  have  known  such 
cases,)  oh !  do  as  Daniel  did ;  in  your  afflic- 
tion, remember  the  young  prophet  in  Baby- 
lon; like  him,  place  all  your  happiness, 
your  hope,  your  strength,  in  being  a  child  of 
God,  by  faith  in  Jesus  Christ !  Say,  like 
him,  My  God,  thou  art  my  Father !  Art 
thou  not  our  God ;  and  hast  thou  not  said, 
"  Like  as  a  father  pitieth  his  children,  even 
so  the  Lord  pitieth  them  that  fear  him?" 

But  observe  attentively  what  is  said  in 
ver.  8.  "  Daniel  purposed  in  his  heart  that  he 
would  not  defile  himself  with  the  portion  of 
the  king's  meat,  nor  with  the  wine  which  he 
drank :  therefore,  he  requested  of  the  prince 
of  the  eunuchs  that  he  might  not  defile  him- 
self" Mark  especially  these  words :  "  he 
purposed  in  his  heart."  This  poor  young  man, 
having  no  one  to  open  his  mind  to,  being  sur- 
rounded only  with  armed  guards,  strangers, 
and  heathens,  purposed  in  his  heart  to  take 
the  Lord  for  his  portion,  and  in  all  things  to 
show  himself  a  faithful  child  of  God. 

It  is  true,  indeed,  that  it  is  not  what  we 
eat  and  drink  that  defiles  or  purifies  us ;  "the 


28  SECOND    LESSON. 

kingdom  of  God  is  not  meat  and  drink,  but 
righteousness,  and  peace,  and  joy  in  the  Holy 
Ghost."  Why,  then,  it  may  be  asked,  did 
Daniel  refuse  "  to  eat  the  portion  of  the  king's 
meat,  and  to  drink  the  wine  which  he  drank?'' 
It  was  that  the  dehcate  meats  which  were 
served  upon  the  table  of  the  monarch,  and 
the  luscious  wines  which  were  poured  into 
his  cup,  were  all  consecrated  to  his  false 
gods,  before  they  came  into  the  royal  ban- 
queting-room.  Hence,  Daniel  could  not  have 
partaken  of  them  without  appearing  like  a 
child  of  the  world,  a  heathen,  and  an  idola- 
ter ;  without  having  fellowship  with  the  idols 
of  Babylon,  and  defiling  himself  Though 
"meek  and  humble,"  "he  purposed  in  his 
heart  that  he  would  not  defile  himself"  He 
determined  to  let  it  be  known,  from  the  mo- 
ment of  his  arrival  in  Chaldea,  that  though 
but  a  young  slave,  he  was  a  servant  of  the 
living  God. 

How  touching  is  this  conduct  of  Daniel, 
especially  when  we  consider  the  society  in 
which  he  was  obliged  to  live  !  The  great  men 
of  Babylon  were  almost  all  persons  of  im- 
moral character;  but  here  we  see,  in  the 
midst  of  them,  a  mere  youth,  a  young  slave, 
who  has  treasured  up  the  word  of  God  in  his 
heart,  who  will  have  no  part  with  idols,  and 
who  seeks  to  place  himself,  as  much  as  pos- 
sible, out  of  the  temptations  and  dangers  to 
which,  from  his  situation,  he  is  about  to  be 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  29 

exposed.  Daniel  desired  to  keep  himself 
pure  before  his  God ;  and  hence,  as  you  shall 
see,  his  God  kept  him,  and  crowned  him  with 
the  richest  blessings.  He  Avas  a  young  Na- 
thanael— "  he  was  an  Israelite  indeed.'^  You 
remember  that  Nathanael,who  retired  under 
a  fig-tree  to  purpose  in  his  heart  that  he 
would  give  himself  up  to  God,  and  you  know 
what  the  Lord  said  to  him:  "Nathanael, 
when  thou  wast  under  the  fig-tree,  I  saw 
thee."  Well,  then,  so  it  was  with  Daniel ; 
he  saw  him,  when  under  some  tree,  in  the 
open  fields,  as  he  was  going  to  Babylon,  or 
in  some  private  closet  in  the  palace,  he  pur- 
posed in  his  heart  that  he  Avould  live  faith- 
fully to  his  God. — Dear  children,  go  and  do 
likewise. 

But  before  we  go  further,  let  us  consider 
what  was  implied  in  this  resolution. 

First. — It  showed,  that  when  he  was  called 
upon  to  profess  his  faith,  he  feared  neither 
the  reproach  nor  the  ridicule  of  men.  He 
could  say ;  True,  I  am  only  a  poor  young 
slave ;  but  they  shall  know  that  I  worship 
the  living  God,  him  whom  the  Babylonians 
blaspheme  and  deride,  and  whose  sanctuary 
at  Jerusalem  they  have  burned.  Now,  my 
dear  children,  a  young  child,  here  or  any- 
where else,  ought  to  be  what  Daniel  was  at 
Babylon ;  he  ought  to  show,  without  hesita- 
tion, that  he  fears  God,  and  desires  to  keep 
his  commandments.     For,  whosoever  shall 

3* 


30  SECOND    LESSON. 

be  ashamed  of  Jesus  and  of  his  word,  be- 
fore this  wicked  and  perverse  generation,  of 
him  shall  he  be  ashamed  before  his  Father 
and  the  holy  angels. 

Secondly. — Daniel  had  reason  to  appre- 
hend that  his  resolution  would  be  considered 
as  a  gross  insult  to  the  king  of  Babylon. 
Conceive  a  young  slave,  who  is  honoured 
with  a  portion  of  meat  from  the  royal  table, 
refusing  to  accept  it,  and  demanding  to  live 
on  pulse  and  water !  And  Avhy  this  refusal  ? 
He  fears  to  defile  himself.  Certainly  such 
conduct  in  a  young  man,  otherwise  meek  and 
respectful,  manifested  an  admirable  courage 
and  decision  of  character. 

Thirdly. — How  exemplary  was  this  deter- 
mination to  live  only  on  "  pulse  and  water," 
amid  all  the  luxury  of  the  court  of  Babylon, 
in  a  young  man  hitherto  brought  up  in  a 
royal  palace  !  How  different  from  the  con- 
duct of  many  children,  who  do  not  hesitate 
to  disobey  their  parents,  to  give  way  to  ill- 
humour,  and  sometimes  even  to  have  re- 
course to  falsehood,  for  the  sake  of  gratifying 
their  miserable  appetites  !  How  often  have  I 
seen  children  tease  and  importune  those  about 
them,  and  cry  for  this  or  that  dainty,  while 
Daniel  requested  that  he  might  not  eat  the 
meat  from  the  king's  table  !  "  I  pray  you," 
said  Daniel,  "  let  me  eat  only  pulse,  and  drink 
only  water,  for  three  years  !  G-od  will  be  with 
me ;  and  I  shall  not  sin  agamst  him."    Such 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  31 

is  the  strength  which  faith  gives  to  the  child 
who  puts  his  trust  in  the  Lord. 

Fourthly. — Daniel  did  not  fear  even  death; 
for  by  his  refusal  he  exposed  himself  to  it. 
The  king  of  Babylon,  like  all  the  Eastern 
monarchs,  could  cut  off  the  head  of  any  of 
his  subjects  who  offended  him,  as  easily  as  a 
child  would  strike  off  the  heads  of  the  pop- 
pies in  his  garden.  But  the  true  Christian 
fears  not  death — ^he  "fears  not  them  that  kill 
the  body,"  because  "he  regards  him  who 
has  power  to  cast  both  soul  and  body  into 
hell  r 

Such  was  the  conduct  of  Daniel;  let  us 
now  see  how  it  was  rewarded. 

We  are  told  that  the  Lord  inclined  the 
hearts  of  all  Daniel's  masters,  that  they 
should  be  favourable  to  him.  When  he 
made  his  request  first  to  the  prince  of  the 
eunuchs,  and  afterwards  to  Melzar,  "  God 
brought  him  into  favour  and  tender  love 
with  the  man,"  (the  Hebrew  word  signifies 
a  love  mingled  with  compassion — a  cordial 
love.)  Such  were  the  feelings  which  the 
Lord  put  into  the  heart  of  this  officer,  who, 
probably,  was  a  man  of  stern  character,  but 
who  was  touched  with  a  tender  affection 
when  he  saw  the  meekness,  amiabilit3^,  and 
docility  of  this  young  Israelite.  For,  mis- 
take not !  Daniel  had,  indeed,  purposed  in 
his  heart  to  die,  rather  than  sin  against  God. 
But  suppose  not  that  he  cherished  a  gloomy 


32  SECOND    LESSON. 

and  austere  piety,  which  piqued  itself  upon 
a  proud  and  disdainful  strictness,  and  that  he 
made  no  account  of  his  superiors.  No  ;  we 
see,  on  the  contrary,  that  "  he  requested,  he 
besought,' '  the  prince  of  the  eunuchs.  I  be- 
seech thee,  compel  me  not  to  eat  what  is 
against  my  conscience.  I  beseech  thee  !  God 
was  favourable  to  him;  God  inclined  the 
heart  of  this  man ;  and  he  obtained  his  de- 
sire. 

And  here,  my  dear  cliildren,  we  learn  an 
important  lesson  for  ourselves.  We,  too 
often,  aUow  ourselves  to  be  drawn  into  sin 
through  the  fear  of  man.  We  say,  if  I  were 
now  to  act  as  you  advise  me,  I  should  incur 
the  displeasure  of  my  friends  ;  I  am  depend- 
ent ;  I  cannot  do  as  I  like ;  I  should  be  cast 
off,  forsaken;  otherwise  I  should  fulfil  such 
or  such  a  duty,  but  I  cannot  turn  against 
those  whom  I  love,  and  who  love  me  !  I 
cannot. — Ah  !  it  was  not  thus  Daniel  spoke. 
Above  all  things,  said  he,  let  God  be  for  me  ; 
if  I  have  need  of  the  favour  of  men,  he  can 
obtain  it  for  me  ;  at  all  events,  his  is  suffi- 
cient ;  if  God  be  for  me,  who  can  be  against 
me  !  It  is  written,  "  The  king's  heart"  is  in 
the  hand  of  the  Lord,  as  rivers  of  water,  he 
turneth  it  whithersoever  he  will ;  and  we  see 
hoAV,  in  this  respect,  the  Lord  was  faithful  to 
Daniel.  He  gained  for  him  the  affection, 
first  of  the  prince  of  the  eunuchs,  then  of 
Melzar,  then  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  afterwards 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  33 

that  of  Darius,  the  king  of  the  Medes,  and 
finally,  that  of  the  great  Cyrus,  the  king  of 
the  Persians.  All  hearts  were  disposed  in 
his  favour ;  and  this,  the  scripture  tells  us, 
was  an  effect  of  the  grace  and  power  of  God. 

Can  you  tell  me  the  name  of  another  youth 
for  whom  the  Lord  conciliated  the  favour  of 
those  around  him,  in  very  trying  circum- 
stances ? 

Joseph,  when  he  was  in  prison. 

Whose  affections  did  he  gain  ? 

The  jailer's. 

And  we  learn  that  children,  at  all  times, 
should  seek,  above  everything  else,  the  favour 
a.nd  love  of  God. 

But  you  must  not  imagine  that  Daniel 
would  have  won  the  heart  of  his  master,  by 
merely  saying,  "  God  is  for  me,"  if  otherwise 
he  had  displayed  a  haughty  temper,  or  shown 
himself  self-complacent,  refractory,  or  ob- 
stinate. If  God  gained  for  him  the  love  of 
men,  it  was  by  endowing  him  with  a  meek 
and  obliging  disposition,  and  making  )iim 
humble  and  conscientious  in  the  discharge  of 
his  duty.  We  read,  "  that  he  was  instructed 
in  the  learning  and  in  the  tongue  of  the  Chal- 
deans," and  no  doubt  he  apphed  himself  to 
his  studies  with  docility  towards  his  masters, 
as  well  as  faithfulness  towards  his  God. 

But  mark  here  his  modest  meekness.  We 
have  said  that  he  entreated  the  prince  of  the 
eunuchs  to  show  favour  to  him.     And  when 


34  SECOND    LESSON. 

that  officer  said :  "  I  fear  my  lord  the  king, 
who  hath  appointed  your  meat  and  your 
drink  :  for  why  should  he  see  your  faces 
worse  liking  than  the  children  which  are  of 
your  sort  ?  then  shall  ye  make  me  endanger 
my  head  to  the  king ;"  Daniel  said  to  Mel- 
zar,  "  Prove  thy  servants,  I  beseech  thee, 
ten  days  ;  and  let  them  give  us  pulse  to  eat 
and  water  to  drink.  Then  let  our  counte- 
nances be  looked  upon  before  thee,"  and  thou 
shalt  see,  if  by  the  grace  of  God,  they  be  not 
as  fat  and  as  fair  as  those  of  ihe  other  youths 
who  have  come  to  the  court  of  Babylon. 

But  here  I  must  notice  a  circumstance, 
which  I  am  sure  will  give  you  pleasure. 
Daniel  was  so  full  of  love  to  his  God,  that  he 
exercised  a  sacred  influence  over  three  of  his 
young  companions,  and  induced  them  also  to 
live  faithfully  like  himself  These  were  Han- 
aniah,  Misliael,  and  Azariah.  These  three 
young  men,  therefore,  formed  the  same  pur- 
pose in  their  heart,  and  requested  to  be  put 
to  the  same  trial. 

Now  it  turned  out  just  as  they  had  antici- 
pated. At  the  end  of  ten  days,  they  enjoyed 
such  a  peace  in  their  minds,  and  such  an 
inward  joy,  from  feeling  that  God  was  their 
portion  and  their  confidence,  that  this  happi- 
ness was  reflected  in  their  countenance,  and 
rendered  them  more  comely,  more  fresh,  and 
more  pleasing  than  before.  You  are  aware 
that  they  had  been  chosen  from  among  the 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  35 

handsomest  and  most  noble  of  the  Jewish 
youth ;  because  the  Assyrian  kmgs,  wishing 
to  add  to  the  histre  and  magnificence  of  their 
court,  admitted  into  their  palaces  none  but 
young  persons  of  high  birth,  distinguished 
for  the  gracefulness  of  their  person,  and  the 
beauty  of  their  countenance. 

At  the  same  time,  these  excellent  young 
men,  who  were  afterwards  called  to  a  very 
severe  trial,  (for  they  were  cast  into  a  bmni- 
ing  fiery  furnace,)  in  abstaining,  like  Daniel, 
from  the  pleasures  of  life,  and  from  that 
abundance  which  too  often  enervates  the 
heart,  were  preparing  themselves,  without 
knowing  it,  for  the  moment  when  God  would 
prove  them  by  painful  afflictions.  They 
came  out  of  them  "  more  than  conquerors ;" 
they  glorified  God,  and  at  the  last  day,  this 
shall  be  the  reward  of  tliose  who  have  been 
persecuted  for  righteousness'  sake.  "  Re- 
joice," saith  the  Saviour,  "  for  great  is  your 
reward  in  heaven.'' 


THIRD    LESSON. 
Daniel  i.  17 — 21;  xi.  1. 

Last  Sunday  we  were  occupied  in  con- 
sidering the  resolution,  the  sobriety,  and  the 
pious  meekness  of  the  young  Daniel,  who 
was  carried  away,  at  so  tender  an  age,  as  a 
captive  into  Babylon.  We  shall  see  to-day 
the  recompense  which  his  conduct  received. 

He  had  put  his  confidence  in  his  heavenly 
Father,  and  chosen  him  as  his  portion  in  the 
world.  0  my  God!  he  had  said,  I  have 
neither  father  nor  mother  on  earth  ;  be  thou 
as  a  father  and  a  mother  unto  me ;  yea,  I 
know  thou  wilt  be  all  this  to  me  and  more  ! 
Yes,  0  my  God  !  above  all  things,  let  me 
have  thy  favour,  thy  love,  thy  grace,  thy 
kingdom,  thy  righteousness !  And  we  see 
that  God  did  protect  and  bless  him,  in  all 
his  ways ;  that  he  prospered  him  in  his  first 
studies,  gave  him  understanding,  and  skill 
in  all  learning ;  besides,  he  put  into  his  heart 
wisdom,  that  wisdom  which  cometh  from 
above ;  even  endowed  him  with  miraculous 
powers,  so  that  at  the  early  age  of  eighteen, 
he  became  eminent  over  the  whole  world; 
and  gained  for  him  the  affection  of  the  most 
36 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  37 

powerful  monarch  of  antiquity,  the  great  Ne- 
buchadnezzar, king  of  Babylon. 

But  before  we  enter  upon  the  exposition 
of  the  first  part  of  the  passage  before  us,  I 
would  notice  what  is  said  of  Daniel,  in  the 
last  verse  of  chapter  i.,  because  that  will 
enable  us  to  form  some  idea  of  the  very 
tender  age  of  this  admirable  youth,  when  he 
was  carried  in  chains  to  Babylon.  He  could 
not  have  been  more  than  from  twelve  to 
fifteen  years  of  age  at  the  time ;  for,  from 
the  verse  in  question,  and  the  first  verse  of 
chapter  x.,  it  appears  that  he  was  still  alive 
seventy-three  years  after ;  so  that  if  he  was 
fifteen  at  the  taking  of  Jerusalem,  he  must 
have  reached  his  eighty-eighth  or  ninetieth 
year  before  his  death. 

In  the  21st  verse  of  chapter  i.,  we  read 
that  Daniel  "  continued  at  Babylon,  even  to 
the  first  year  of  Cyrus."  Now,  the  Baby- 
lonish captivity,  which  began  when  Daniel 
was  taken,  and  ended  on  the  accession  of 
Cyrus,  lasted  seventy  years ;  so  that  if  Daniel 
was  thirteen  or  fifteen  years  when  he  was 
made  prisoner,  he  must  have  been  eighty- 
three  or  eighty-five  when  he  retired  from 
the  court. 

But,  further,  we  read  in  chapter  x.  1,  that 

he   had  a  miraculous  vision  "  in  the  third 

year  of  Cyrus,  king  of   Persia,"  when  the 

Lord  appeared  to  him  by  the  side  of  the  river 

4 


38  THIRD    LESSON. 

Hiddekel.  Hence,  supposing  him  to  have 
been  thirteen  or  fifteen  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  captivity,  he  must  have  attained 
the  great  age  of  eighty-six  or  eighty-eight 
at  the  time  of  this  vision. 

But  we  return  to  ver.  17.  Here  we  read 
that  "God  gave"  these  four  youths  "  Imow- 
ledge,  and  skill  in  all  learning,  and  Avisdom ; 
and  Daniel  had  understanding  in  all  visions 
and  dreams." 

Here  are  four  benefits  which  the  Lord 
bestowed  on  these  upright  young  Israelites,  as 
a  recompense  for  their  fidelity.  1st,  Know- 
ledge; 2nd,  Skill  in  all  learning ; — Srdly, 
Wisdom,  in  the  conduct  of  themselves; — 
and  4thly,  at  least  in  the  case  of  Daniel, 
something  supernatural ;  prophetic  gifts,  a 
miraculous  knowledge  of  the  secrets  of  the 
Lord. 

No  doubt,  as  we  have  already  said,  these 
young  men,  to  acquire  knowledge,  applied 
themselves  with  diligence  to  their  studies ; 
they  rose  early  in  the  morning,  they  were 
sober,  they  Avere  teachable,  they  loved  their 
masters,  they  rendered  themselves  beloved. 
These  were  efi'ectual  means  of  doing  well, 
and  becoming  distinguished.  But  they  did 
not  stop  here  ;  they  knew  that  after  all,  it  is 
God  that  giveth  knowledge,  and  that  Avithout 
Him,  "  in  vain  we  rise  up  early,  and  sit  up 
late,  and  eat  the  bread  of  sorrow."     They 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  39 

prayed  for  the  blessing  of  God  on  their  la- 
boui's;  they  began,  continued,  and  ended 
each  day  with  fervent  supphcations. 

You  will  see,  as  we  proceed  m  our  narra- 
tive, that  such,  m  fact,  were  the  habits  of  these 
3^oung  students.  Turn  to  the  2  3rd  ver.  of  the 
2nd  chapter,  and  you  Avill  see  the  proof  of 
this :  "  I  thank  thee  and  praise  thee,  0  thou 
God  of  my  fathers !  who  hast  given  me  wis- 
dom and  might,  and  hast  made  known  mito 
me  now  ivhat  we  desired  of  thee;  for  thou 
hast  made  known  unto  us  the  king's  mat- 
ter/*' Yes,  my  dear  children,  and  if  you  also 
would  acquire  knowledge  in  your  respective 
callmgs,  we  say  to  you,  be  diligent,  docile, 
ready  to  learn;  be  conscientious  in  your  ap- 
plication, but  above  all,  be  instant  in  prayer, 
and  entreat  the  Lord  daily  to  give  you  his 
indispensable  assistance.  You  see  what 
knowledge  he  conferred  on  the  young  king 
Solomon,  who  asked  him,  first,  and  above  all 
things,  for  wisdom.  Read  1  Kings  iv.  29 — 
34.  Read  also  what  that  great  king  says  in 
Eccl.  ii.  26.  And  when  I  speak  thus,  thmk 
not  that  I  address  myself  exclusively  to  those 
among  you  who  are  called  to  study  Greek, 
and  Latin,  and  History,  &c.  No,  I  address 
myself  equally  to  those  who  may  be  going 
through  a  painful  and  laborious  apprentice- 
ship, or  learnmg  some  difficult  trade. — Here, 
too,  God  only  can  give  skill  and  success :  this, 
too,  is  from  Him.     Read  what  the  Lord  said 


40  THIRD    LESSON. 

of  "  Bezaleel,"  the  jeweller,  of  the  tribe  of 
Judah,  and  of  Aholiab,  of  the  tribe  of  Dan. 
Exod.  xxxi.  1 — 6. 

But  it  may  be  said,  that  some  children 
never  make  much  progress,  notwithstanding 
all  their  application  ;  they  have  little  talent, 
or  quickness,  or  strength,  or  memory.  Oh  ! 
dear  children,  these  things  also  God  can  and 
will  give  to  those  who  ask  them  of  him. 
Mark,  in  the  second  place,  what  is  told  us  in 
ver.  17. 

"  God  gave  them  knowledge  and  skill  in 
all  learning  and  wisdom." 

Who  giveth  talent?  Who  giveth  under- 
standing, or  memory,  or  attention  ?  You  are 
told  here,  and  you  already  know,  that  it  is 
God. 

Well,  then,  be  not  discouraged.  I  could 
tell  you  many  examples  of  God's  faithful- 
ness in  this  respect,  which  I  have  known  my- 
self. You  must  take  care,  indeed,  not  to  ask 
for  talent,  or  application,  or  sagacity,  that  you 
may  shine  in  society,  rise  above  others,  ad- 
vance yourselves  in  the  world,  or  gratify  an 
earthly  ambition.  No,  doubtless,  to  ask  such 
success,  in  such  a  spirit,  would  be  to  pray  to 
offend  him.  But  if  when  you  ask  such  things 
from  Him,  you  are  sure  that  it  is  with  a  view 
to  His  glory,  and  with  a  desire  to  serve  and 
obey  Him,  then  be  persuaded  that  Avhatever 
you  have  need  of  he  will  give  you. 

I  knew  an  old  peasant,  in  my  former  pa- 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  41 

rish,  who  being  converted  at  the  age  of  fifty, 
and  having  never  learned  to  read,  was  ex- 
ceedingly anxious  to  acquire  this  Inrowledge. 
But  if  he  had  this  desire,  it  was  not  to  shine 
in  the  world,  nor  to  gain  a  little  money ;  it 
was  to  study  the  word  of  God  for  himself, 
and  to  become  acquainted  with  the  Lord 
Jesus  Chi'ist.  But  at  the  age  of  fifty,  it  is 
very  difficult  to  learn  to  read,  especially  when 
one  has  no  master.  What,  then,  did  this 
worthy  brother  do  ?  He  put  into  his  hat  the 
hymns  of  Mr.  Malan,  several  of  which  he 
had  learned  by  heart,  and  while  he  worked 
at  his  vine,  he  sat  down  from  time  to  time, 
with  his  mattock  by  his  side,  and  taking  out 
his  book,  followed  with  his  eye,  line  by  line, 
and  letter  by  letter,  the  verses  which  he  re- 
peated, and  thus  learned  to  read  perfectly, 
and  in  a  short  time  acquired  the  happiest 
knowledge  of  the  Ncav  Testament.  During 
my  visit  to  the  churches  of  the  Saone  and 
Loire,  I  heard  of  an  old  woman  of  Burgundy, 
who  made  a  similar  experiment.  And  Mr. 
Blumhardt,  the  late  principal  of  the  Mis- 
sionary College  at  Basle,  has  told  me  that  he 
often  wondered  at  the  quickness  with  which 
those  young  pnpils  who  were  influenced  by 
the  pure  love  of  Christ,  acquired  a  know- 
•ledge  of  the  sacred  scriptures. 

But  some  one  may  say.  Do  we  not  often 
see  voung  persons  without  piety,  acquiring 

4* 


42  THIRD    LESSON. 

with  great  ease  the  things  which  they  are 
taught  ? 

Yes,  certainly ;  because  God,  who  "  send- 
eth  his  rain  on  the  just  and  on  the  unjust, 
and  maketh  his  sun  to  rise  on  the  evil  and  on 
the  good,"  is  often  pleased  to  pour  down 
upon  such  ^roung  persons  the  abundance  of 
his  favours,  to  draw  them  to  himself,  or  if 
they  will  not  give  him  their  hearts,  to  leave 
them  without  excuse.  But  yet  it  is  not  the 
less  certain  that  all  knowledge,  all  learning, 
all  talent,  however  vast  and  however  bril- 
liant, is  nothing  but  dross,  and  the  most 
wretched  poverty,  if  the  heart  be  devoid  of 
prayer,  the  mind  alienated  from  its  Creator, 
the  conscience  burdened  with  dead  works, 
and  the  life  without  God. 

Hence  we  are  told  that  God  gave  these 
four  youths  not  only  the  two  first  gifts,  but 
also — 

3.  In  the  third  place,  ivisdovi.  But  what 
is  wisdom  ?  True  wisdom  is  that  which 
Cometh  from  above.  "  The  fear  of  the  Lord, 
that  is  wisdom,  and  to  depart  from  evil  is 
understanding,"  Job  xxviii.  28.  True  wis- 
dom is  to  know  God,  to  love  him,  and  to  de- 
sire to  be  like  him.  Read  the  description 
which  St.  James  gives  of  the  wisdom  which 
Cometh  from  above.  James  iii.  17.  And  also 
hoAV  we  are  to  obtain  it.   James  i.  5 — 7. 

It  is  thus  we  obtain  that  wisdom :  by  ask- 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  43 

ing  it  of  God,  asking  it  every  day,  earnestly 
desiring  it,  and  believing  that  God  gives  it 
for  the  love  of  his  Son,  Jesus  Christ.  See 
also  the  happiness  of  those  who  find  that 
wisdom.  Prov.  iii.  13 — 18. 

Such,  my  friends,  were  the  blessings  which 
the  Lord  bestowed  on  these  four  young  Is- 
raelites, in  recompense  of  their  fidelity.  But 
in  tlie  case  of  Daniel,  who  was  the  guide  and 
the  model  of  the  others,  and  who  had  exer- 
cised upon  them  such  a  salutary  influence, 
there  was  something  more.  The  Lord  gave 
him  not  only  knowledge,  skill,  and  wisdom, 
but  also  a  spirit  of  prophecy :  he  gave  him 
visions  and  dreams,  and  enabled  him,  like 
Joseph,  in  former  times,  to  understand  and 
interpret  them. 

You  will  better  comprehend  what  is  here 
said,  if  you  refer  to  the  words  which  the 
Lord  addressed  to  Aaron  and  Miriam  when 
they  had  rebelled  against  their  brother  Moses. 
Read  Numb.  xii.  6 — 8.  From  these  words 
it  appears  that  there  were  two  ways  in  which 
the  Lord  revealed  himself  in  those  days  to 
his  prophets.  He  sent  them  visions,  that  is, 
being  awake,  they  saw  invisible  objects  which 
God  caused  to  pass  before  them,  as  if  they 
had  really  beheld  them  with  their  bodily  eyes ; 
or  he  sent  them  dreams,  that  is,  in  their  sleep 
they  had  manifestations  so  clear  and  striking, 
they  saw  and  heard  things  so  distinctly,  and 
so  full  of  truth  and  reality,  that  it  was  im- 


44  THIRD    LESSON. 

possible  for  them  to  confound  them  with  ordi- 
nary dreams. 

Such  was  the  case  with  Daniel,  as  we  shall 
see  in  the  next  chapter ;  for  not  only  had  he 
visions  and  dreams  himself,  and  was  en- 
abled to  understand  their  prophetic  meaning, 
but  he  was  given  to  reveal  the  dreams  of 
others,  and  to  tell  their  real  interpretation. 

But  now  we  pass  on  to  a  very  important 
moment  in  the  career  of  these  four  young 
friends.  We  have  arrived  at  the  .end  of  their 
third  year  of  trial  and  of  study,  when  the 
good  Captain  Melzar  was  to  brmg  them  mto 
the  presence  of  king  Nebuchadnezzar. 

What  a  solemn  moment !  what  a  tlirilling 
scene  for  these  four  young  Hebrews !  To  ap- 
pear for  final  examination  before  that  illus- 
trious prince !  but  doubtless  their  hearts  Avere 
full  of  peace ;  for  while  they  prepared  to 
appear  in  the  presence  of  that  dread  mon- 
arch, they  were  impressed  with  the  thought 
of  a  greater  and  more  dreadful  monarch  than 
Nebuchadnezzar  himself,  even  the  King  of 
kings,  and  Lord  of  lords,  who  reigneth  in 
heaven  and  earth. 

Never,  perhaps,  had  there  ruled  over  the 
nations  of  the  earth,  a  greater  or  more  il- 
lustrious monarch  than  Nebuchadnezzar. 
Though  still  in  the  fioAver  of  his  age,  he  had 
already  performed  the  most  magnificent  ex- 
ploits, and  was  decidedly  one  of  the  most 
distinguished  men  of  antiquity.      A  great 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  45 

commander,  a  mighty  conqueror,  he  dis- 
played an  extraordinary  magnanimity,  and 
the  most  heroic  disposition.  He  was,  so  to 
speak,  a  Napoleon  and  an  Alexander  miited 
in  one  person. 

During  the  three  years  which  Daniel  and 
his  companions  had  spent  in  study,  Nebuchad- 
nezzar, though  very  young,  had  performed 
prodigious  labours,  and  eifected  immense 
conquests.  When  he  took  Jerusalem,  and 
carried  away  the  young  Daniel,  in  the  year 
606,  B.  c,  his  father  was  still  alive.  He  had 
subsequently  conquered  the  powerful  king 
of  Egypt,  and  made  himself  master  of  all 
that  prince's  possessions  in  Syria ;  the  year 
following,  having  heard  of  his  father's  death, 
he  returned  to  Babylon  with  vast  treasures, 
intending  to  make  it  the  most  sumptuous 
city  in  the  world.  He  afterwards  formed 
an  alliance  with  the  king  of  the  Medes, 
whose  daughter  he  had  married,  and  joined 
with  him  to  besiege  the  city  of  Nineveh,  a  city 
so  immense,  that  it  took  three  days  to  go 
round  it ;  he  had  taken  and  destroyed  it ;  had 
overthrown  the  ancient  and  powerful  empire 
of  the  Assyrians ;  and,  finally,  had  entei'ed 
Babylon,  laden  with  the  spoils  of  the  world. 

It  was  now  that  the  good  Melzar  brought 
into  his  presence  the  young  Israelites.  How 
must  they  have  been  gratified  with  the  re- 
ception which  they  met  with  from  Nebu- 
chadnezzar!     We  read,  verses  19,  20,  that 


46  THIRD    LESSON. 

"the  king  communed  with  them,"  and  among 
all  the  youths  which  stood  before  him,  '*  was 
fomid  none  like  Daniel,  Hananiah,  Mishael, 
and  Azariah."  The  king  himself  exammed 
them,  as  well  in  learned  questions,  as  in  the 
languages  and  affairs  of  government ;  for  he 
was  a  man  of  science  and  learning,  and 
wished  to  see  every  thing  with  his  own  eyes. 
"  And  in  all  matters  of  wisdom  and  mider- 
standing,  that  the  king  required  of  them,  he 
found  them  ten  times  better  than  all  the  ma- 
gicians and  astrologers  that  were  in  all  liis 
realm." 

We  are  not  informed  how  long  the  three 
friends  of  Daniel  continued  at  court ;  but  we 
are  told  of  Daniel,  that  he  remained  there 
"even  unto  the  first  year  of  king  Cyrus," 
seventy  years  after ;  so  that  he  had  time  to 
see,  before  his  death,  the  deliverance  of  Je- 
rusalem. 


FOURTH    LESSON. 
Daniel  ii.  1 — 24. 

JNIy  dear  children,  we  are  now  going  to 
enter  upon  some  of  the  most  remarkable 
predictions  of  scripture  ;  we  are  going  to  see 
the  God  of  heaven  disclosing  to  the  prophetic 
eye  of  his  servant  Daniel,  the  line  of  events 
which  were  to  shake  the  kingdoms  of  the 
earth,  1000,  2000  and  even  3000  years  after 
him ;  and  which,  in  the  present  day,  are  ac- 
compUshing  before  our  eyes,  in  the  history  of 
nations. 

The  Almighty  evidently  had  two  objects, 
in  affording  these  important  revelations  to 
Daniel,  and  through  him  to  his  whole  church. 

1.  He  designed  to  put  honour  upon  his 
servant  Daniel,  from  his  tenderest  years ;  be- 
cause, he  intended,  not  only  to  make  him  a 
guide,  a  light,  and  a  consolation  to  his  people 
Israel,  in  their  bondage  in  Babylon ;  but  also, 
to  employ  him  as  an  instrument  of  benedic- 
tion and  conversion  to  many  of  his  elect 
among  the  heathen  in  those  remote  ages. 

2.  He  designed,  by  means  of  the  clearness 
and  minute  accuracy  of  Daniel's  prophecies, 
to  add  another  seal  of  divinity  to  the  sacred 

47 


48  FOURTH    LESSON. 

scriptui'es ;  so  that  men  of  after  ages,  when 
they  read  these  astonishing  predictions,  should 
be  constrained  to  exclaim,  Sm'ely  these  pages 
are  inspired !  this  book  must  be  from  God ! 
for  we  see  in  it  his  inimitable  signature  and 
seal,  smce  it  contains  the  history  of  nations, 
ten,  twenty,  and  even  thirty  centuries  before 
the  events  occurred. 

And  for  this  purpose,  what  did  he  do  ?  He 
revealed  to  young  Daniel,  as  he  had  done  to 
Joseph,  the  secrets  of  a  king,  and  the  secrets 
of  the  future. 

One  night,  while  Daniel  was  sleeping  quietly 
in  his  bed,  and  while  the  great  king  Nebu- 
chadnezzar, who  had  lately  returned  to  his 
capital,  after  the  most  splendid  conquests,  was 
reposing  in  magnificence  on  his  royal  couch, 
the  Lord  interrupted  the  slumbers  of  the 
monarch  by  a  dream,  such  as  he  had  never 
seen  before  ;  a  frightful  dream — a  dream  ter- 
rible to  behold — a  dream  so  striking  and  so 
supernatural,  that  an  indescribable  emotion 
agitated  his  whole  being ;  and  in  the  morning, 
though  he  was  unable  to  recall  what  he  had 
seen,  yet  he  could  not  shake  off  the  conviction 
that  great  things  had  been  revealed  to  him — 
that  this  dream  had  nothing  in  common  with 
the  ordinary  fantastic  visions  of  the  night,  but 
had  comxC  from  God.  "  It  is  a  revelation  from 
heaven,"  thought  he ;  therefore,  he  determines 
to  ascertain  it  at  any  cost ;  to  discover  its 
nature  and  its  import ;  he  has  no  rest — ^he 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  49 

is  miserable — he  is  troubled  and  filled  with 
terror. 

You  have  already  seen,  that  in  his  perplex- 
ity and  distress,  he  sent  for  "  the  magicians, 
the  astrologers,  the  sorcerers,  and  the  Chal- 
deans ;"  (for  heathen  kings  in  ancient,  as  in 
modern  times,  have  always  been  accustomed 
to  collect  about  them  persons  who  practised 
these  execrable  arts,)  but  here,  observe  his 
unreasonable  demand ;  he  requires  of  them, 
not  only  to  tell  him  the  meaning  of  what  he 
has  seen,  but  ichat  it  was  that  he  saw. 

In  vain  do  the  magicians  twice  answer 
him  :  "  Thou  demandest,  0  king,  a  thing  im- 
possible !  There  is  no  king,  lord,  nor  ruler, 
that  ever  asked  such  things  from  any  magi- 
cian, astrologer,  or  Chaldean ;  there  is  none 
other  that  can  show  it  except  the  gods,  whose 
dwelling  is  not  in  flesh."  He  is  deaf  to  all 
expostulation,  and,  in  the  excess  of  his  rage, 
exclaims,  "Wretches  !  the  decree  is  gone  out 
against  you ;  ye  shall  be  cut  in  pieces,  and 
your  houses  turned  into  a  dunghill."  It  was 
after  this,  that  Daniel,  who  was  included  in 
the  same  condemnation  as  the  rest,  was  in- 
troduced ;  and  in  his  conduct  in  this  matter, 
there  are  three  things  highly  deserving  of 
your  most  serious  attention,  which  I  would 
invite  you  to  consider. 

1.  Observe,  that  he  displayed,  on  this  trying 
occasion,  an  immutable /f/zV A  in  the  assistance 
of  his  God. 
5 


50  FOURTH    LESSON. 

2.  That  he  songhtj'bY  fervent pra7/er,  th^t 
assistance  in  which  he  trusted. 

3.  That  having  obtained  it,  he  acknow- 
ledged it  with  grateful  praises  and  thanks- 
giving's to  the  Lord. 

Bat  here  it  may  be  well  to  call  to  mind 
once  more  the  age  of  this  young  and  noble 
prophet,  at  the  time  when  these  new  scenes 
took  place.  Can  you  tell  me  how  old  he 
was,  at  most,  when  he  was  carried  a  captive 
into  Babylon  ? 

Fifteen. 

Now,  you  remember  I  told  you  that  Ne- 
buchadnezzar lost  his  father  the  year  after 
Daniel  was  taken  captive.  Hence  it  was, 
then,  that  he  began  to  reign  alone  ;  and  we 
are  informed  that  it  was  "  in  the  second  year 
of  his  reign"  that  he  had  the  divine  vision  in 
question.  In  Jeremiah  we  read,  that  "  the 
fourth  year  of  Jehoiakim  that  is  the  year 
after  the  taking  of  Jerusalem,  was  the  first 
of  Nebuchadnezzar;"  because,  that  young 
prince  had  been  associated  with  his  father, 
in  the  empire,  two  years  before  his  death. 
Daniel,  therefore,  could  not,  at  this  time,  have 
been  more  than  seventeen  or  eighteen  years 
of  age ;  but  the  Lord  had  already  endowed 
his  mind  and  his  heart  with  an  admirable 
wisdom,  because  he  had  been  faithful  in  the 
use  of  his  first  gifts. 

Endeavour,  then,  to  bear  in  mind  that 
Daniel  was  made  prisoner  in  the  year  606, 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  51 

B.  c. ;  that  Nebuchadnezzar  began  to  reign 
m  the  year  605  ;  and  that  he  had  his  dream 
the  following  year,  604  b.  c. 

But  let  us  proceed  with  the  explanation  of 
our  verses.  The  sanguinary  sentence  of  the 
king  is  published  in  Babylon  ;  the  unhappy 
magicians  and  astrologers  are  doomed  to  die, 
and  Daniel  and  his  companions  are  every 
where  sought  for,  to  be  subjected  to  the  same 
fate,  because  they  cannot  do  what  is  impos- 
sible. Thus,  all  are  condemned,  without 
exception,  and  the  innocent  Daniel  is  con- 
founded with  these  wicked  impostors  !  What 
ferocious  cruelty !  what  extravagant  and  dia* 
bolical  tyranny,  in  a  king  who,  otherwise, 
was  not  devoid  of  great  and  generous  senti- 
ments, and  had,  more  than  once,  displayed 
so  noble  a  character  !  But,  alas  !  such  is  the 
corrupt  and  feeble  heart  of  man,  when  it 
enjoys  too  much  prosperity  and  power. — 
Nebuchadnezzar  had  need  to  be  humbled. 

Here  observe  how  miserable  it  is  to  live 
under  a  despotic  government,  when  the  lives 
of  all  are  at  the  mercy  of  one  man ;  when  a 
momentary  burst  of  passion  in  a  young  tjTuM 
may  cause  the  death  of  prophets — the  mas- 
sacre of  God's  children — sweep  whole  fami- 
lies to  the  grave — and  plunge  a  nation  in  the 
agonies  of  grief.  What  gratitude  do  you 
owe  to  God,  that  you  have  been  born  in  a 
land  of  liberty,  where  justice  reigns,  and  the 
rights  of  all  are  respected  ?    Yes,  my  friends. 


52  FOURTH    LESSON". 

it  is  a  frightful  calamity,  when  a  nation 
groans  under  the  iron  yoke  of  a  wicked 
king ;  but  it  is  a  still  greater  calamity  when 
it  trembles  under  the  scourge  of  a  revolu- 
tionary government,  which  sets  up  a  thou- 
sand tyrants  instead  of  one,  and  converts  a 
whole  people  into  a  ferocious  executioner, 
armed  with  a  thousand  animosities,  and 
thirsting  for  blood.  Ask  3^our  father,  or  your 
grandfathers,  and  they  will  tell  you  that  it 
was  so,  throughout  Europe,  not  more  than 
forty  years  since.  Human  blood  then  flowed 
like  water ;  life  was  more  bitter  then  death, 
and  you  might  have  seen  guillotines  standing 
night  and  day,  in  every  town  in  France. 
Whole  families  were  beheaded,  especially 
when  they  were  rich,  from  the  hoary-headed 
grandfather,  to  children  of  tender  age.  And 
almost  the  same  atrocities  were  committed 
on  our  own  bastions  at  Geneva.  Well, 
then,  dear  children  !  who  can  assure  you, 
that  were  a  similar  revolution  once  more  to 
break  out  in  France,  the  same  horrors  would 
not  be  repeated  in  our  city,  before  our  eyes  ? 
'  The  heart  of  the  natural  man  is  unchanged. 
The  gospel  alone  can  regenerate  it,  and  that 
gospel  has  not  made  any  considerable  pro- 
gress in  France,  or  even  in  Switzerland.  You 
have,  perhaps,  read  the  "  Loss  of  the  Kent;" 
while  the  tempest  was  raging  around  the 
vessel,  the  fire  broke  out,  and  all  on  board 
expected  every  iustant  to  be  blown  up  into 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  53 

the  air ;  but  at  that  awful  moment,  those  who 
were  true  Christians  commended  their  souls 
into  the  hands  of  their  God.  Now,  we,  too, 
are  on  board  a  vessel,  which,  at  any  moment, 
may  explode  into  the  air.  What,  then,  ought 
we  to  do  ?  We  ought  to  pray  to  God  to 
stretch  over  us  his  protecting  hand;  but, 
above  all,  if  such  a  calam'ity  should  come 
upon  our  country  again,  to  give  us  his  grace, 
that  we  may  be  found  like  Daniel,  full  of 
wisdom,  faith,  and  prayer. 

But  I  must  not  omit  to  observe,  that  how- 
ever cruel  was  the  sentence  of  the  king  of 
Babylon  against  the  astrologers,  their  chas- 
tisement from  God  was  not  the  less  merited. 
These  unhappy  men  exercised  a  hateful  and 
diabolical  trade ;  they  were  seducers  and 
poisoners,  as  the  Bible  calls  them.  False 
prophets  are  an  abomination  to  the  Lord. 
Read  what  God  has  said  to  his  people :  Deut. 
xviii.  10,  14.  And  see  the  punishment  which 
was  to  be  inflicted  upon  such  persons.  Lev. 
XX.  27. 

These  astrologers  and  diviners  of  Baby- 
lon, however,  on  hearing  of  the  terrible 
decree  which  had  gone  out  against  them, 
fled  in  every  direction,  and  hid  themselves 
wherever  they  could,  in  order  to  escape  the 
impending  storm;  but  the  terrible  Arioch, 
the  captain  of  the  guard,  sent  soldiers 
throughout  the  country  to  take  them  and 
put  them  to  death.     Daniel,  likewise,  was 

5* 


54  FOURTH    LESSON. 

sought  for,  though  he  was  a  stranger,  and 
an  amiable  young  man,  and  though  the  kins: 
had  found  ten  times  more  wisdom  in  hini 
than  in  all  the  astrologers  of  his  kingdom, 
chap.  i.  20.  But  the  king  of  Babylon,  hur- 
ried on  by  his  passions,  listened  only  to  his 
blind  rage ;  and  while  he  admired  the  pre- 
mature wisdom  which  he  discovered  in  the 
young  Israelite,  he  never  imagined  that  a 
mere  youth,  of  such  a  tender  age,  could  throw 
more  light  upon  his  dreams  than  all  the 
sages  of  his  empire. 

Now  pause,  and  contemplate  Daniel. — 
Admire  first  his  faith ;  and  because  of  his 
faith,  his  firmness ;  and  at  the  same  time,  his 
meekness,  his  serenity,  his  pious  wisdom. 

He  does  not  fly — he  does  not  hide  him- 
self—No, he  has  put  his  confidence  in  God 
his  Saviour,  and  he  determines  to  present 
himself  before  the  dreadful  Arioch,  who  has 
gone  forth  to  put  to  death  all  the  sages  of 
Babylon,  and  is  seeking  him  also,  to  subject 
him  to  the  same  fate. 

Now,  it  is  said  (ver.  14)  that  Daniel  turned 
aside  the  counsel  and  decree  of  the  king  by 
his  "  admirable  wisdom."*  But  the  passage 
may  be  translated  as  it  is,  for  example,  in  the 
English  version,  "  Daniel  answered  with 
counsel  and  wisdom  to  Arioch." — Which 
ever  of  these  translations  be  preferred,  it  is 

•  See  French  Version. 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  55 

obvious  that  the  meaning  is,  that  by  the 
wisdom  and  firmness  with  which  God  had 
endowed  him,  and  by  the  imposing  dignity 
which  ah'eady  marked  his  countenance, 
Daniel  arrested  the  fury  of  the  dreaded 
Arioch.  And  it  would  seem  that  for  this 
he  required  to  act  Avith  great  prudence  and 
strength  of  mind ;  for,  in  his  thanksgiving, 
we  find  him  saying  to  God ;  "I  thank  thee, 
0  God  of  my  fathers !  who  hast  given  me 
wisdom  and  might,"  ver.  23. 

But  how  deeply  interesting  is  this  moment 
in  the  career  of  Daniel !  I  imagine  I  see 
before  me  the  noble  youth,  whom  a  cruel 
and  unjust  decree  had  marked  out  for  de- 
struction. He  enters  into  the  presence  ot 
Arioch ;  he  addresses  him  with  the  calmness 
of  conscious  integrity,  and,  at  the  same  time, 
with  dignity,  as  a  prophet  of  the  Lord: 
"  Why  is  the  decree  so  hasty  from  the  king?" 
Arioch  explains  the  whole  aff'air  to  Daniel, 
who  is  in  total  ignorance  of  it,  for  he  had  no 
connexion  with  the  astrologers  and  pretended 
sages  of  the  king ;  he  gave  himself  up  en- 
tirely to  his  studies  and  devotions,  with  his 
companions,  and  had  as  yet  heard  nothing 
of  that  alarming  dream  which  had  so  deeply 
afiected  the  mind  of  Nebuchadnezzar. 

But  mark  the  conduct  of  this  young  be- 
liever. His  part  is  immediately  taken ;  he 
makes  no  complaints,  no  reproaches;  he  feels 
no  perplexity  ]  he  merely  says,  I  will  go  to 


56  FOURTH   LESSON. 

the  king  !  And  why  ?  he  looks  higher  than 
the  king ;  he  has  put  his  confidence  in  God. 
He  determines  to  say  nothing  of  his  project 
to  his  three  young  companions  for  the  present, 
but  to  present  himself  at  once  before  the 
monarch ;  and,  "  building  himself  up  on  his 
most  holy  faith,"  to  tell  him :  "  Sire,  give 
me  time,  and  I  will  show  thee  the  dream  and 
the  interpretation  thereof"  Such  is  his  con- 
fidence; he  is  assured  that  the  Lord  will 
hear  him,  and  not  abandon  his  servant  who 
puts  his  trust  in  him,  and  desires  to  glorify 
him. 

But  further,  notice  the  second  thing  in  the 
conduct  of  Daniel,  which  I  have  specified. 
Wliy  does  he  demand  time  ?  Is  it  to  prolong 
his  life  ?  Is  it  at  least  to  ask  counsel  of  men  ? 
Oh,  no  !  it  is  to  pray,  to  pray  earnestly,  to 
pray  with  his  brethren.  In  this  is  his  wis- 
dom, in  this  his  strength.  He  confides  in 
God  for  deliverance,  but  he  does  so  in  the 
exercise  of  prayer.  Confidence  without 
prayer  is  false  and  delusive  :  prayer  without 
confidence  is  also  delusive  and  false.  He 
says  to  himself,  in  efiect,  what  Paul  does  to 
the  Philippians,  "  Be  careful  for  nothing ; 
but  in  every  thing  by  prayer  and  supplica- 
tion, with  thanksgiving,  let  your  requests  be 
made  known  unto  God.  And  the  peace  of 
God,  which  passeth  all  understanding,  shall 
keep  your  hearts  and  minds  through  Christ 
Jesus." — chap.  iv.  6. 


THE    PROPHET    DANIIUIh  57 

The  king  of  Babylon,  remembering  the 
extraordmary  wisdom  of  Daniel,  and  repent- 
ing, perhaps,  of  his  former  precipitation, 
grants  the  delay.  The  young  prophet,  as 
we  read  ver.  17,  immediately  returns  to  his 
house,  and  now  determines  "to  make  the 
thing  known"  to  his  friends.  And  where- 
fore ?  "  That,"  as  we  are  told,  ver.  18,  "  they 
might  desire  mercies  of  the  God  of  heaven 
concerning  this  secret,  that  Daniel  and  his 
fellows  should  not  perish  Avith  the  rest  of  the 
wise  men  of  Babylon." 

0  what  a  noble  and  affecting  sight,  to  be- 
hold these  four  young  men  on  their  knees,  in 
their  chamber  in  Babylon,  before  the  God  of 
their  fathers,  imploring  his  mercy  !  Behold 
them  praying  with  one  heart  to  their  hea- 
venly Father ;  reading  together  the  promises 
of  his  word ;  committing  themselves  to  the 
Lord  of  all,  for  life  or  for  death;  encourag- 
ing, animating,  strengthening  one  another  as 
brethren  !  Ah !  I  fear  not  to  say,  that  in  those 
days  of  affliction  they  were  happy.  This  is 
happiness,  true  happiness ;  to  have  God  with 
us,  God  for  us,  God  in  us  !  Yea,  this  is  hap- 
piness indeed  ! 

And,  my  dear  children,  this  is  what  you 
also  need.  Oh,  yes  !  you  need  such  joys, 
such  friends — friends  like  those  of  Daniel; 
praying  friends — friends  for  eternity  as  well 
as  for  time.  You  need  friends  to  whom  you 
can  go  in  the  hour  of  trial  and  affliction,  and 


58  FOURTH  LESSON. 

say,  "  Pray  with  me  !  let  us  ask  mercies  of 
the  God  of  heaven  concerning  this  matter." 
Ah !  these  are  true  friends !  in  their  society 
we  become  better ;  with  them  we  feel  that 
there  is  a  union  which  shall  last  in  heaven ; 
of  which  it  may  be  said,  It  is  for  ever !  0! 
the  real,  the  precious  friends  are  those  of 
whom  there  will  be  reason  to  say  to  God  in 
the  last  day.  My  God,  I  praise,  I  bless  thee 
for  them ! 

Now,  hear  what  their  prayer  was.  They 
desired  mercies  of  God,  ver.  18;  and,  as 
Daniel  afterwards  said,  in  the  touching  effu- 
sion of  his  heart,  "  0,  my  God,  we  do  not 
present  ourselves  before  thee  for  our  own 
righteousness,  but  for  thy  great  mercies;" 
these  dear  youths,  pious  as  they  were,  came 
to  God  as  humble  sinners,  iTuploring  mercy. 
Thus  they  prayed ;  beseeching  God  to  grant 
them,  according  to  the  faith  of  Daniel,  the 
knowledge  of  the  supernatural  vision  which 
he  had  given  to  the  king  a  few  nights  before. 

But  observe  here  an  important  feature  in 
the  prayer  of  Daniel,  Avhich  deserves  to  be 
particularly  attended  to.  Daniel  had  faith  to 
believe  that  God  would  reveal  to  him  the 
vision  of  the  king ;  but  did  he  remain  with 
his  arms  folded,  waiting  for  its  accomplish- 
ment? No,  he  prayed,  he  prayed  without 
ceasing,  until  he  was  heard.  And  thus  will 
the  true  believer  do.  He  will  believe,  but 
he  will  also  pray ;  and  he  will  pray  until  the 
Lord  has  heard  his  supplications. 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  59 

But  hear  now  how  the  faith  of  these  young 
Hebrews  was  honoured.  Their  expectation 
was  not  disappointed ;  tlieir  prayers  were  not 
without  effect.  In  the  dead  of  night,  while 
Daniel  lay  awake,  (for  it  was  not  a  dream,  it 
was  a  vision,)  he  suddenly  beheld  passing 
before  him,  with  all  the  richness  of  reality, 
the  terrible  apparition  which  the  king  of 
Babylon  had  seen  in  his  sleep.  It  was  the 
image  of  a  man  of  shining  metal ;  it  resem- 
bled a  gigantic  statue,  and  its  brightness  was 
overpowering ;  the  form  thereof  was  appall- 
ing, and,  the  scripture  tells  us,  terrible.  The 
head  was  of  gold,  the  breast  of  silver,  the  belly 
and  thighs  of  brass,  and  the  legs  and  feet  of 
iron.  Presently  it  was  overthrown  by  a 
frightful  collision,  broken  in  pieces,  and  re- 
duced to  powder.  Then,  though  we  are  not 
informed  how,  the  meaning  also  was  revealed 
to  the  prophet.  This  interpretation  will  oc- 
cupy our  attention  in  subsequent  meditations ; 
for  the  present  we  must  pass  on  to  the  19th 
verse,  Avhich  contains  the  third  and  last  thing 
I  shall  notice  in  the  conduct  of  Daniel. 

"  The  secret  was  revealed  to  Daniel  in  a 
night  vision.  Then  Daniel  blessed  the  God 
of  heaven.'^ 

You  have  already  seen  the  faith  of  this 
young  prophet,  and  heard  his  prayers ;  now 
hear  his  praises.  He  is  as  ready  to  give 
thanks  as  to  ask.  How  earnest,  how  full  of 
love  is  his  soul  in  its  expressions  of  gratitude 


(50  FOURTH  LESSON. 

and  of  joy !  He  does  not  wait  until  the 
morning ;  no,  immediately,  in  the  middle  of 
the  night,  he  rises  to  bless  the  God  of  hea- 
ven. He  does  not  wait  till  he  has  seen  the 
king  of  Babylon,  and  learned  from  his  lips 
the  identity  of  his  vision ;  no — God  of  my 
prayers,  cries  he,  I  praise  thee,  I  magnify 
thee,  I  glorify  thee ;  "  let  all  that  is  withm 
me  bless  thy  holy  name  !" 

Let  us  learn  a  lesson  from  this.  We  all, 
perhaps,  know  how  to  pray  when  we  are  in 
affliction,  or  some  difficulty;  but  too  often, 
when  the  Lord  comes  to  our  help,  the  deli- 
verance seems  to  us  quite  natural,  and  we 
know  not  how  to  give  thanks. 

But,  my  friends,  time  admonishes  us ;  we 
must  separate.  One  more  reflection  Avould  I 
leave  Avith  you,  and  I  entreat  you  to  think 
of  it  during  the  day,  when  the  remembrance 
of  Daniel  and  his  fervent  prayers  comes  into 
your  mind.  You  have  seen  in  our  last  five 
verses,  the  lively  gratitude  which  he  felt 
when  the  revelation  of  the  secret  was  given 
to  him  in  a  vision  of  the  night.  But,  oh  ! 
what  ought  to  be  om'  gratitude  for  the  reve- 
lation of  the  mystery  of  Jesus  Christ,  which 
is  vouchsafed  to  us ;  that  mystery  which  St. 
Paul  says  "  was  not  made  known  unto  the 
sons  of  men ;"  Ephes.  iii.  5.  "  That  mystery, 
the  knowledge  of  which  is  life  eternal !"  0! 
"  thanks  be  to  God  for  his  unspeakable  gift !" 
2  Cor.  4—15. 


FIFTH     LESSON. 
Daniel  xi.  25,  26. 

Last  Sunday  we  were  engaged  in  contem- 
plating a  sight  equally  touching  and  instruc- 
tive. Daniel  had  not  feared  to  go  before  the 
king,  and  to  say  to  him :  "  Give  me  time,  and 
I  will  not  only  make  known  to  thee  the  dream, 
now  forgotten,  which  so  exceedingly  troubled 
thy  sleep,  but  I  will  give  thee  also  the  mys- 
terious  interpretation  thereof.^'  From  thence 
the  young  prophet,  having  returned  to  his 
abode,  called  together  his  companions  in 
bondage,  and  joining  with  them  in  humble 
supplication  to  the  God  of  their  fathers,  prayed 
with  such  fervency  and  success,  that  the  fol- 
lowing night  the  appalling  dream  of  the  king 
of  Babylon  was  revealed  to  him  in  a  superna- 
tural vision,  and  he  was  enabled  to  read  with 
a  prophetic  eye,  the  great  events  of  the  future. 
It  was  here  we  left  off  in  our  last  lesson. 

We  have  now  once  more  to  follow  this 
pious  youth  into  the  presence  of  Nebuchad- 
nezzar ;  and  we  shall  confine  ourselves,  on 
the  present  occasion,  to  the  consideration  of 
the  first  part  of  the  revelation  which  he  re- 
ceived. I  say  the  first  part,  because,  you 
61  6 


62  riFTH    LESSON. 

remember,  the  king  required  two  things ;  his 
thoughts,  and  the  meaning  of  his  thoughts. 

But  I  hope,  dear  children,  you  have  not 
neglected  the  twofold  task  which  I  enjoined 
on  you.  You  recollect  what  it  was  ?  I  told 
you  to  study  the  map  and  the  table  of  ^^ears 
which  I  gave  you.  In  other  words,  the 
geography  and  chronology  of  the  events; 
their  geography,  that  is  the  respective  situa- 
tion of  the  countries  in  which  they  took  place ; 
and  their  chronology,  or  the  number  of  years 
which  elapsed  between  each  of  them. 

Now,  to  facilitate  such  calculations,  we 
usually  take  the  birth  of  our  Lord  as  the 
period  from  Avhich  we  date.  We  say,  for 
example,  that  such  an  event  happened  fifty 
or  100  years  before  or  after  Jesus  Clirist. 
Daniel  interpreted  the  dream  of  Nebuchad- 
nezzar in  the  year  605  before  Christ,  and  we 
are  now  in  the  year  1837  after  Christ.  Hence 
it  is  2442  years  since  Daniel  entered  the  mag- 
nificent palace  of  Babylon,  to  explain  to  the 
king  the  thoughts  of  his  heart. 

To  render  this  subject  more  easy  to  you,  I 
have  prepared  two  chronological  tables.  Tlie 
first  consists  of  a  short  list  of  the  principal 
dates  in  history,  from  the  creation  to  our  day ; 
the  second  contains  an  enumeration  of  the 
principal  events  of  the  age  of  Daniel. 

My  first  table  is  merely  an  enlargement 
of  that  which  I  gave  you  a  few  weeks  ago. 
It  reaches  from  Adam  to  Jesus  Christ,  and 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  63 

from  Jesus  Christ  to  Bonaparte.  It  will  serve 
the  same  pm'pose  in  chronology  as  a  map 
of  the  world  in  geography.  To  assist  the 
memory,  I  have  set  down  the  dates  only  in 
round  numbers  and  centuries,  that  is,  from 
100  years  to  100  years  before  Christ,  and 
from  100  years  to  100  years  after  Christ. 

]My  second,  as  I  have  said,  is  a  development 
of  the  age  of  Daniel.  It  is  not  necessary  for 
you  to  learn  this  by  heart,  but  I  wish  you  to 
have  it  frequently  under  your  eye,  while  you 
are  reading  the  book  of  Daniel ;  and  you  may 
make  a  very  profitable  use  of  it  hereafter  in 
studying  Jeremiah,  Ezekiel,  and  the  books  of 
Kings  and  Chronicles. 

It  is  a  solemn  and  imperative  duty  on  all 
Christians  to  make  themselves  acquainted 
with  the  Old  Testament,  and  more  especially 
with  the  prophetical  books,  which  form  such 
a  large  portion  of  it.  The  ignorance  which 
prevails  among  Christians  in  the  present  day, 
in  this  respect,  is  really  very  much  to  be  re- 
probated. It  is  a  great  evil,  and  ought  to 
cease.  There  are  many  causes  which  con- 
tribute to  it ;  I  shall  mention  a  few  of  them. 

And,  first,  one  cause  of  this  ignorance  of 
the  prophecies  is,  simply,  that  they  are  not 
read.  I  have  met  many  pious  persons,  here 
and  elsewhere,  who  seemed  to  think  that 
having  made  out  three  or  four  orthodox  doc- 
trines from  the  scriptures,  they  had  nothing 
more  to  do  than  to  study  the  New  Testament 


64  FIFTH    LESSON. 

and  to  become  acquainted  with  Christ  as  their 
Saviour  from  it.  After  all,  say  they,  what 
need  have  I  to  become  learned  in  the  Old 
Testament  ?  I  am  no  theologian.  But,  0  my 
God  !  pardon  such  thoughts,  for  they  know 
not  what  they  do  !  they  know  not  how  guilty 
is  their  conduct !  What !  has  God  spoken  for 
nought  ?  He  hath  declared,  that  "  all  scrip- 
ture" (the  whole  Old  Testament,  for  at  that 
time  the  New  Testament  was  not  written) 
"  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God,  and  is  pro- 
fitable for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction, 
for  instruction  in  righteousness." — 2  Tim.  iii. 
16.  Our  Lord  hath  said :  "  Search  the  scrip- 
tures," (of  the  Old  Testament,)  "  for  they  are 

they  that  testify  of  me,"  John  v.  39 And 

they  dare  to  neglect  such  a  book  !  neglect  to 
study  those  scriptures  in  which  are  hidden  all 
the  treasures  of  the  wisdom  and  knowledge 
of  God !  No  wonder  if  such  Christians  make 
little  progress  in  the  divine  life,  and  if  they 
fail  for  lack  of  nourishment — "  My  people 
perish  for  lack  of  Imowledge,  saith  the  Lord." 
A  second  cause  of  this  evil  is,  that  even 
those  who  do  read  the  prophecies,  take  little 
pains  to  understand  them.  They  open  the 
sacred  volume  without  regularity,  and  with- 
out close  study,  just  when  they  happen  to  feel 
so  disposed,  and  they  seek  out  of  it  nothing 
more  than  a  vague,  and  indolent,  and  for- 
tuitous edification.  They  read  in  it  here  and 
there,  to  make  a  spiritual  application  of  its 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  65 

contents,  without  regard  to  the  real  and  literal 
meaning  which  its  divine  author  intended 
it  to  convey.  They  are  more  desirous  to 
bind  it  into  a  fanciful  conformity  with  their 
own  thoughts  at  the  moment,  than  to  find 
out  what  God  himself  has  engraven  upon 
its  pages.  Surely,  there  is  no  reverence  in 
this  mode  of  reading  the  Bible.  How,  then, 
I  would  ask,  can  they  expect  a  blessing 
on  it  ? 

But  a  third  cause  of  the  ignorance  of  the 
prophetical  scriptures,  which  so  lamentably 
prevails  among  Christians  of  the  present  day, 
even  among  those  who  read  the  prophecies, 
is  that  they  do  not  sufficiently  study  the  con- 
temporary history.  This  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary, and  nothing  is  more  easy.  Let  any 
one  take  this  slight  trouble,  and  he  will  be 
surprised  at  the  innumerable  instances  in 
which  the  historical  will  throw  light  upon 
the  prophetical  books  of  the  Bible.  When  I 
decided  on  giving  you  these  lectures  on  the 
book  of  Daniel,  I  began  to  study  the  contem- 
porary histories  of  Ezekiel,  Daniel,  and  Jere- 
miah, in  the  sacred  volume,  and  to  compare, 
in  a  somewhat  detailed  manner,  their  predic- 
tions with  the  events  ;  and  I  cannot  tell  you 
the  light  I  received,  and  the  enjoyment  I  ex- 
perienced, from  this  comparison.  It  is,  then, 
to  exercise  you  the  better  in  connecting  the 
study  of  the  events  with  that  of  the  prophecies, 

6* 


66  FIFTH    LESSON. 

that  I  have  prepared  for  you  these  two  chro  ■ 
nological  tables.* 

I  shall  now  mention,  by  way  of  example, 
some  of  the  events  which  it  is  necessary  for 
you  to  know  thoroughly,  in  order  to  under- 
stand the  history  and  prophecies  of  Daniel. 

You  must  remember  that  there  are  three 
kings  of  whom  the  scriptm'es  frequently 
speak ;  and  three  prophets,  who  are  among 
the  holiest  and  most  illustrious  of  the  Old 
Testament. 

These  three  kings  are,  Pharaoh-Necho,  in 
Egypt ;  Jehoiakim,  in  Jerusalem ;  and  Nebu- 
chadnezzar, in  Babylon.     See  Map. 

Now,  remark  the  places  of  the  three  pro- 
phets. In  Jerusalem,  (and  afterwards  in 
Egypt,)  Jeremiah ;  in  Babylon,  (and  later  at 
Susa,  in  Persia,)  Daniel ;  in  Babylon,  by  the 
River  Chebar,  Ezekiel.  Let  us  first  speak  of 
the  three  kings. 

Pharaoh  had  marched  out  of  Egypt  at  the 
head  of  a  powerful  army,  and  made  conside- 
rable conquests  as  far  as  the  river  Euphrates, 
when  he  took  the  city  of  Carchemish.  At 
that  time  the  young  and  good  king  Josiah, 
the  father  of  Jehoiakim,  reigned  in  Judea. 
This  prince,  in  a  moment  of  imprudence, 
was  induced  to  march  against  the  king  of 
Egypt ;  but  in  the  midst  of  the  battle  he  re- 

•  They  are  to  be  found  at  the  end  of  the  volume. 


THE    PROPHET   DANIEL.  67 

ceived  an  arrow  in  his  breast,  and  he  said  to 
his  servants,  "  Have  me  away,  for  I  am  sore 
wonnded."  He  was  carried  away  from  the 
field  in  his  chariot,  and  soon  after  died ;  and 
when  his  dead  body  was  conveyed  to  Jeru- 
salem, there  was  great  momning  for  him  in 
all  the  country. 

Pharaoh  having  heard  that  Josiah  had 
fallen  in  the  battle,  hastened  to  Jerusalem, 
and  carried  away  captive  into  Egypt  the 
young  Jehoahaz,  whom  the  people  had  raised 
to  the  throne  of  his  pious  father.  Jehoiakim, 
whom  the  king  of  Egypt  put  in  his  place, 
reigned  as  his  tributary,  and,  to  please  him, 
loaded  his  people  with  burdensome  taxes. 
Meanwhile,  these  misfortunes  had  not  yet 
reached  their  end,  for  all  Israel  had  forgotten 
God. 

It  was  soon  Nebuchadnezzar's  turn  to 
chastise  this  ungrateful  people.  This  prince, 
an  Assyrian  by  race,  Avas  still  a  very  young 
man,  and  was  distinguished  in  the  field  ;  his 
father  was  yet  living,  but  he  reigned  con- 
jointly with  him  over  Babylon  and  Chaldea. 
He  marches  against  Pharaoh,  obtains  victory 
after  victory,  drives  him  back  into  Egypt, 
and  proceeds  to  lay  siege  to  Jerusalem.  Je- 
hoiakim surrenders,  and  becomes  his  tribu- 
tary, as  he  had  been  to  the  king  of  Egypt  for 
tliree  years.  It  was  at  this  time  that  Nebu- 
chadnezzar carried  away  Daniel  into  cap- 
tivity.    Soon  he  hastens  to  new  conquests : 


68  FIFTH   LESSON. 

but  hearing  of  his  father's  death,  he  returns 
to  his  capital,  laden  with  immense  riches,  and 
builds  the  most  magnificent  palaces.  But  God, 
who  had  purposed  to  convert  him  on  the 
throne  of  Babylon,  and  to  make  him  the 
means  of  calling  many  souls  among  the  Gen- 
tiles to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  sutlers 
him  not  to  waste  his  time  in  the  pursuit  of 
such  trifles.  While  he  is  thinking,  on  his 
royal  couch,  of  future  conquests,  he  is  visited 
b5^a  supernatural  dream,  which  fills  his  whole 
soul  with  terror.  He  sees  before  him  the  co- 
lossal form  of  a  man,  as  it  were,  alive.  Its 
aspect  is  terrible,  and  its  brightness  wonder- 
ful. Its  head  was  of  gold,  its  breast  of  silver, 
its  thighs  of  brass,  and  its  legs  of  iron.  But 
suddenly  a  little  stone  cut  out  of  the  moun- 
tain rolls  down  and  smites  the  toes  of  this 
mighty  image;  and  immediately  the  gold, 
the  silver,  the  brass,  and  the  iron  are  reduced 
to  dust,  and  the  whole  is  destroyed.  And, 
behold !  this  little  stone  becomes  a  great 
mountain,  and  this  mountain  fills  the  whole 
earth ! 

Such  are  the  three  kings :  let  us  now  speak 
of  the  three  prophets. 

But  first,  it  is  necessary  to  remind  you  that 
Nebuchadnezzar  laid  siege  to  Jerusalem  three 
times  during  the  life  of  Daniel.  He  took  it 
the  first  time,  when,  after  conquering  the 
king  of  Egypt,  he  reduced  Jehoiakim,  and 
carried  away  Daniel  into  Chaldea.  This  was 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  69 

in  the  year  606,  b.  g.  He  took  it  a  second 
time,  six  years  after,  to  punisli  Jehoiachin, 
Avho  had  revolted  against  him,  and  made  a 
new  treaty  with  the  king  of  Egypt.  On  this 
occasion  it  was  that  he  removed  the  young 
king,  Jehoiachin,  who  had  succeeded  his 
father,  Jehoiakim,  three  months  before,  to 
Babylon,  loaded  with  a  double  chain  of 
brass  ;  and  placed  on  his  throne  in  his  stead, 
his  uncle,  Zedekiah,  the  brother  of  Jehoia- 
kim, and  third  son  of  the  good  king  Josiah. 
It  was  after  this  second  siege  that  the  pro- 
phet Ezekiel  was  carried  away  captive  to  the 
river  Chebar,  in  Chaldea. 

Lastly,  he  took  it  a  third  time,  nineteen 
years  later,  when  Zedekiah  revolted  against 
him.  It  was  then  he  slew  the  children  of 
this  prince  in  his  presence,  put  out  his  eyes, 
and  sent  him  in  chains  to  prison,  in  Babylon, 
burned  the  temple  of  Jerusalem,  and  razed 
the  city  to  the  ground. 

Let  us  now  say  a  few  words  about  the 
three  prophets. 

There  were  others,  it  is  true,  at  Jerusalem 
during  these  disastrous  times,  as  Habakkuk, 
Obadiah,  Baruch,  and  Zephaniah ;  but  Dan- 
iel, Ezekiel,  and  Jeremiah  were  the  holiest 
and  most  distinguished :  they  were  acquaint- 
ed with  each  other ;  they  read  one  another's 
writings,  but  they  were  called  to  live  at  a 
great  distance  from  each  other,  and  to  spend 
very  difierent  kinds  of  lives. 


70  FIFTH    LESSON. 

Jeremiah  was  about  forty-five  years  of  age 
at  the  tune,  Dauiel  seveuteen,  aud  Ezekiel 
twenty. 

Jeremiah  prophesied  at  Jerusalem,  Daniel 
at  Babylon,  Ezekiel  by  the  river  Chebar. 

Jeremiah  prophesied  in  tears,  and  amid 
persecution,  in  poverty  and  in  prison,  clothed* 
in  goat-skins,  and  living  among  the  poor. 
Daniel  prophesied  in  power  and  splendour, 
in  the  palaces  of  kings,  and  clothed  like  the 
nobles  of  the  empire ;  for  he  was  himself 
one  of  the  princes  of  Babylon.  But  he  was 
holy,  and  lived  with  God;  he  was  sober, 
humble,  meek,  a  man  of  prayer  among  the 
great;  he  ate  only  pulse,  and  drank  only 
water,  and  was  dear  to  the  Lord  as  Noah, 
Moses,  and  Job.  Ezekiel,  on  the  contrary, 
prophesied  by  the  river  Chebar,  in  the  centre 
of  Chaldea,  amid  the  sorrows  and  the  hu- 
miliations of  exile.  At  the  time  of  Nebu- 
chadnezzar's dream,  both  he  and  Jeremiah 
were  still  in  Jerusalem;  but  seven  years 
after,  he,  in  his  turn,  was  led  into  captivity, 
while  Jeremiah  continued  until  his  death 
among  the  ungodly  Jews,  in  the  huts  of  Ju- 
dea.  It  is  even  said,  that  when  they  went 
down  to  Egypt  they  brought  him  with  them, 
and  put  him  to  death  there ;  a,nd  we  are  told 
that  the  Jews  of  Chaldea,  also,  at  a  later  pe- 
riod, being  provoked  by  the  prophecies  of 
Ezekiel,  dragged  him  upon  the  stones  until 


THE    PROPHET   DANIEL.  71 

his  skull  Avas  fractured,  and  his  brains  fell 
out  on  the  ground. 

Finally,  I  would  remind  you,  that  the  same 
year,  that  is,  the  year  preceding  the  dream  of 
Nebuchadnezzar,  Jeremiah  predicted  to  the 
Jews  that  the  above-named  prince  would 
come  again  to  Jerusalem,  besiege,  and  take 
it,  and  that  he  would  carry  them  away  as 
prisoners,  and  that  this  captivity  should  last 
for  seventy  years.  Daniel  knew  of  this  pro- 
phecy ;  he  heard  of  it  from  the  Jews  who 
were  brought  into  Chaldea,  after  Nebuchad- 
nezzar's second  expedition;  and  you  will 
see,  when  you  come  to  the  ninth  chapter, 
with  what  devotion  he  applied  himself  to 
the  study  of  the  writings  of  his  brother,  Jere- 
miah. 

But  let  us  return  to  the  explanation  of  the 
verses  before  us.  We  read  in  the  25th  verse, 
that  Arioch  "  went  in  to  the  king,  in  haste," 
to  tell  him  that  he  had  at  length  found  a 
person  who  could  make  known  to  him  his 
dream.  But  observe  the  courtier-like  man- 
ner in  which  he  expresses  himself.  Would 
not  one  think  that  he  had  taken  vast  pains 
to  find  an  interpreter,  and  that  the  promises 
of  Daniel  were  entirely  owing  to  his  diligent 
researches  ? — and  yet  you  have  seen  that  all 
the  trouble  he  took  was  to  discover  that 
innocent  youth,  to  put  him  to  death.  "  I 
have  found  a  man,"  said  he,  "  of  the  cap- 
tives of  Judah,  that  will  make  known  unto 


72  FIFTH    LESSON. 

the  king  the  interpretation."  The  king 
answered  and  said  to  Daniel,  whose  name  is 
Belteshazzar,  "art  thou  able  to  make  known 
unto  me  the  dream  which  I  have  seen,  and 
the  interpretation  thereof?" 

We  think  we  can  trace  in  these  words  of 
the  king,  something  like  a  mingled  feeling  of 
astonishment  and  distrust,  on  seeing  this  youth 
of  seventeen  come  forward  to  explain  that 
which  had  baffled  the  wisdom  of  all  the  wise 
men  of  Chaldea.  But  thus,  at  all  times,  the 
Lord  is  pleased  to  choose  the  weak  things  of 
the  v/orld  to  confound  the  mighty.  And 
even  now,  when  he  pours  out  his  Spirit  upon 
a  child,  he  gives  him  a  deeper  knowledge  of 
the  holy  scriptures,  and  puts  into  his  young 
heart,  more  wisdom,  even  in  the  eyes  of  men, 
than  is  possessed  by  hoary-headed  sages,  who 
have  only  the  wisdom  of  this  world,  and  are 
unacquainted  with  the  word  of  God. 

Hear,  now,  the  young  prophet's  answer  to 
the  king.  And  Daniel  answered  in  the  pre- 
sence of  the  king,  and  said, "  the  secret  which 
the  king  hath  demanded,  cannot  the  wise 
men,  the  astrologers,  the  magicians,  the  sooth- 
sayers, show  unto  the  king ;  but  there  is  a 
God  in  heaven,  that  revealeth  secrets,  and 
maketh  known  unto  the  king  Nebuchadnez 
zar,  what  shall  be  in  the  latter  days.  But  as 
for  me,  the  secret  is  not  revealed  to  me  for 
any  wisdom  that  I  have  more  than  any  living, 
but  for  their  sakes  that  shall  make  known 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  73 

the  interpretation  to  the  king,  and  that  thou 
tnightest  make  known  the  thoughts  of  thy 
heart,"  ver.  27—30. 

How  beautiful !  how  subhme  !  Let  us 
notice  a  few  of  the  most  important  features 
of  this  noble  answer. 

1.  The  prophet  declares  the  impossibility 
of  any  of  the  children  of  men  doing  what  the 
king  required.  Why  doth  the  king  demand 
a  thing  that  is  impossible  ?  Why  put  such 
confidence  in  diviners  ?  Why  deliver  them 
up  so  cruelly  to  death  ?  It  is  as  if  he  had 
said :  0  king,  despise  them ;  no  longer  con- 
sult them;  but  do  not  destroy  them!  And 
as  for  the  two  things  which  thou  demandest 
— the  dream  and  its  interpretation,  oh !  expect 
them  not  from  any  of  the  sons  of  men ;  and 
if  I  come  to  reveal  them  to  thee,  know  that  I 
have  not  discovered  them  of  myself. 

2.  He  declares,  that  what  is  impossible 
with  man,  is  possible  with  God ;  and  remem- 
ber, that  he  is  addressing  a  heathen  king, 
who  worshipped  a  multitude  of  false  gods, 
and  caused  himself  to  be  adored  as  a  divinity. 
With  what  care  does  he  seek  to  lead  him  to 
the  knowledge  of  his  God  ;  how  calmly  and 
how  boldly  does  he  give  all  the  glory  to  his 
Master  !  "  There  is  a  God  in  heaven  that  re- 
vealeth  secrets,  and  he  it  is  that  maketh 
known  unto  the  king  the  revolutions  of  em- 
pires, and  the  great  things  which  shall  be  in 
the  latter  days.     Well  mayest  thou  inquire 

7 


74  FIFTH   LESSON. 

into  them,  0  king,  for  they  are  no  vain  dreams 
— they  are  great  things." 

3.  Mark  his  modesty, — ^lie  had  said  the 
thing  was  impossible  to  men ;  he  had  further 
said,  it  was  possible  to  God.  Now,  he  adds, 
that  he  will  do  it :  but  how  !  Ah  !  it  is  not 
"  for  any  wisdom  that  he  has  more  than  any 
hving."  No;  the  secret  has  been  revealed 
to  him,  that  the  king  of  Babylon  may  know 
the  thoughts  of  his  heart,  and  give  glory  to 
the  God  of  heaven. 

And  such,  my  friends,  is  the  view  which 
we  must  take  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 
1.  It  contains  things  which  it  is  impossible 
for  the  natural  man  to  know.  2.  It  is  God 
that  reveals  these  things.  3.  He  reveals  them, 
not  "for  any  wisdom  that  we  have,  more  than 
any  living,  but  because  of  his  great  mercy,  to 
the  praise  of  the  glory  of  his  grace." 


SIXTH    LESSON. 
Daniel  xi.  36—46. 

The  proud  king  of  Bab^don  had  risen  from 
his  royal  couch  in  agitation  and  alarm.  An 
indescribable  dream  had  chilled  him  with  hor- 
ror ;  and  yet  he  had  forgotten  all  its  details ; 
all  he  remembered  was  its  terrible  majesty. 
Never  had  anything  like  it,  in  the  mysteries 
of  sleep,  troubled  his  repose  ;  it  was  evidently 
an  affair  between  heaven  and  himself. 

But  what  was  the  meaning  of  it  ?  And  how 
was  he  to  ascertain  this,  since  he  no  longer 
remembered  even  what  he  had  seen  of  it  ? 
He  anxiously  desires  to  know  two  things  : 
the  dream  and  its  inteiyretation. 

The  prophet  Daniel,  however,  still  a  youth, 
presents  himself  before  him  to  tell  him  these 
things.  "  There  is  a  God  in  heaven  that  re- 
vealeth  secrets,"  and  this  has  been  revealed 
to  him,  "  not  for  any  wisdom  which  he  has, 
more  than  any  living,"  but  that  he  may  give 
unto  the  king  a  solemn  interpretation  of  it. 
The  dream  was  this : 

The  king  had  seen  in  the  night  a  majestic 

personage  suddenly  appear  before  him.  "  His 

form,"  says  Daniel,  "was  terrible,"  either  from 

its  dazzling  brightness,  or  from  its  attitude  and 

75 


76  SIXTH    LESSON. 

the  height  of  its  stature,  or  from  the  menacing 
expression  of  its  looks  ;  but  what  was  most 
alarming  in  this  midnight  vision,  was  its 
termination.  While  the  king  beheld  this 
personage,  a  stone  cut  out  of  the  mountain 
without  hands,  rolling  down,  smote  the  feet 
of  this  gigantic  image ;  and  behold  !  it  sud- 
denly fell,  and  was  reduced  to  a  fine  powder, 
like  the  chaff  which  is  winnowed  in  a  day 
of  summer,  and  the  wind  scattereth  it  away. 
But  what  was  the  result  ?  That  stone  grew, 
it  became  a  great  mountain,  and  in  a  little 
time  it  filled  the  whole  earth  ! 

"  This  is  the  dream,"  says  Daniel,  "  and 
we  will  tell  the  interpretation  thereof  before 
the  king." 

This  interpretation  you  have  already  re- 
peated to  me,  my  dear  children — I  will  read 
it  over  again  for  you,  that  you  may  be  able 
to  give  more  attention  to  my  explanations. — 
See  verses  37 — 46. 

Can  you  conceive  a  scene  more  imposing 
or  more  affecting  than  that  described  in  these 
verses  ?  Behold  the  great  Nebuchadnezzar 
hstening  to  this  young  man,  while  he  dis- 
closes to  him  the  secrets  of  his  thoughts,  and 
the  mysteries  of  the  future :  all  the  dreadful 
images  of  his  dream  which  he  had  forgotten, 
re-appear  before  him;  he  sees  them  again,  he 
recognises  them ;  he  is  troubled ;  his  heart 
beats  violently;  he  scarcely  breathes;  he 
hangs  upon  the  words  of  the  prophet.    Daniel 


THE    PROPHET   DANIEL.  77 

having  revealed  to  him  the  hidden  things  of 
the  past,  now  proceeds  to  tell  him  those  of 
the  future !  He  is  then  a  messenger  of  heaven ; 
the  Spirit  of  God  is  with  him  ! — Behold,  then, 
upon  his  throne,  this  king  so  proud,  this  con- 
queror, who  had  filled  the  world  with  the 
terror  of  his  name,  this  Bonaparte,  this  mighty- 
conqueror,  this  demi-god  adored  by  twenty 
nations  in  Asia  !  Behold,  he  rises  before  the 
young  slave  ;  he  descends  from  his  gilded 
canopy,  throws  himself  at  the  feet  of  Daniel, 
falls  on  his  face  upon  the  ground,  and  kisses 
the  dust ! 

And  Avhy  this  emotion,  this  respect,  these 
adorations  ?  It  is  not  Daniel  he  adores,  it  is 
the  message  of  the  God  of  heaven.  "  Of  a 
truth,"  exclaims  he,  "  your  God  is  a  God  of 
gods,  and  a  Lord  of  lords,  and  a  revealer  of 
secrets,  seeing  thou  couldst  reveal  such 
things." 

But,  again,  why  these  fervent  adorations ; 
why  this  full  persuasion  of  the  truth  of  Dan- 
iel's interpretation?  Ah!  how  could  he  doubt 
it  ?  If  Daniel  could  know  the  secrets  of  the 
past,  why  not  also  penetrate  into  the  myste- 
ries of  the  future  ?  The  king  felt  this  while 
the  young  man  revealed  to  him  in  succession 
the  miraculous  images  of  his  dream;  and 
therefore  it  was  that  he  now  experienced  this 
emotion  of  soul,  these  transports  of  admira- 
tion. 

Let  us  begin  our  explanations  with  verses 
7* 


78  SIXTH    LESSON. 

36  and  37. — 36.  "  This  is  the  dream,  and  we 
will  tell  the  interpretation  thereof.'^  37. 
"  Thou,  0  king,  art  a  king  of  kings ;  for  the 
God  of  heaven  hath  given  thee  a  kingdom, 
and  strength,  and  glory. '^ 

To  miderstand  these  and  the  following 
words,  we  must  remember  what  is  said,  ver. 
28,  29  :  "  There  is  a  God  in  heaven  that  re- 
vealeth  secrets,  and  maketh  known  to  the 
king  Nebuchadnezzar  what  shall  be  in  the 
latter  days.  Thy  thoughts  came  into  thy 
mind  upon  thy  bed  what  should  come  to 
pass  hereafter :  and  he  that  revealeth  secrets 
maketh  known  to  thee  what  shall  be  here- 
after.'^ We  learn  from  these  words  that  this 
dream  was  intended  to  make  known  to 
Nebuchadnezzar  "  what^  should  be  hereaf- 
ter,'' and  even  "  what  should  be  in  the  latter 
times;"  and  from  ver.  29  we  learn  that  the 
king,  who  was  a  man  of  powerful  mind,  was 
meditating  in  his  bed  on  the  events  which 
might  agitate  the  world  after  him,  when  sud- 
denly God  made  known  to  him  what  was  to 
happen,  that  is,  the  succession  of  empires 
and  of  revolutions  which  were  to  decide,  in 
turn,  the  destinies  of  the  people  of  God.  This 
is  what  I  purpose  explaining  to  you. 

The  greater  part  of  you,  I  take  for  granted, 
have  heard  of  the  four  great  monarchies; 
the  Babylonian,  the  Persian,  the  Grecian, 
and  the  Roman — and  of  their  founders,  Ne- 
buchadnezzar, Cyrus  the  Great,  Alexander 


THE   PROPHET   DANIEL.  79 

the  Great,  and  Cassar.  Every  child  who  has 
made  any  progress  in  history,  knows  some- 
thing of  these  great  empires,  and  of  these 
illustrious  persons.  But  even  should  you  still 
be  altogether  ignorant  of  them,  do  not  think 
that  this  is  any  reason  for  your  giving  less 
attention  to  the  subject  before  us.  The  ex- 
planation of  the  book  of  Daniel,  of  itself, 
will  make  you  acquainted  with  them ;  and 
the  map,  which  I  have  already  shown  you, 
will  facilitate  your  understanding  them. 

But  here  I  wish  to  make  two  important 
general  remarks  on  the  prophecies  which  we 
are  going  to  explain. 

The  first  is,  that  in  the  history  of  nations 
there  are  always  two  classes  of  interest,  and 
of  facts  very  distinct,  and  yet  exercising  over 
each  other  a  powerful  influence.  The  first 
are  political  events ;  the  second  religious. — 
The  former  regard  kings  and  emperors ;  the 
latter  the  souls  of  men  and  the  church  of 
God. — By  whom  shall  Europe  be  ruled  ten 
years  hence?  Whether  by  the  French,  the 
English,  or  the  Russians  ?  whether  by  kings 
and  emperors,  or  revolutionists  and  republi- 
cans? These  are  events  of  politics — ^this  is 
what  we  call  the  history  of  states.  But  what 
shall  be  the  state  of  Christianity  in  Europe  ? 
whether  the  Spaniards,  the  Italians,  the 
French,  shall  recognise  the  authority  of  the 
Pope  or  of  the  Bible,  in  matters  of  faith? 
whether  they  shall  seek  their  peace  in  God 


80  SIXTH    LESSON. 

or  in  their  priests?  These  are  religious  events; 
this  is  the  history  of  the  church.  Hence, 
when  an  author  undertakes  to  write  a  com- 
plete history  of  any  people,  he  must  speak  of 
both  these  things,  and  then  his  book  is  called 
a  history  of  the  church  and  of  the  state! 

You  understand,  then,  what  I  mean  when 
I  say  that  in  Daniel  you  will  find  two  inte- 
rests, two  orders  of  events,  two  histories :  the 
history  of  the  church,  and  the  history  of  the 
state.  But  while  the  Spirit  of  God  follows 
at  the  same  time  these  two  lines  of  narra- 
tion, he  never  confounds  them.  Thus,  for 
example,  he  speaks  of  the  four  great  mon- 
archies in  the  second  chapter,  and  again  in 
the  seventh  and  eighth  chapters.  But  in  the 
former  case,  it  is  the  history  of  the  state 
which  he  has  principally  in  view,  and  he 
speaks  of  religion  only  the  better  to  complete 
his  political  history.  And  hence,  to  whom 
does  he  address  his  revelation?  To  Nebu- 
chadnezzar, to  a  king,  and  that  a  heathen 
king.  But  in  the  seventh  and  eighth  chap- 
ters, it  is  the  history  of  religion  that  he  has 
principally  in  view,  and  he  speaks  of  the  his- 
tory of  the  state  only  as  supplementary  to 
that  of  the  chm'ch ;  and  then  to  whom  does 
he  address  himself?  Not,  you  know,  to  a 
warrior,  a  conqueror,  a  heathen  king,  but  to 
a  man  of  God,  to  one  of  his  prophets,  his 
beloved  Daniel. 


THE    PROPHET   DANIEL.  81 

This  is  my  first  remark ;  and  now  for  my 
second. 

What  pohtical  histories,  think  you,  should 
we  expect  to  find  in  Daniel  ?  Is  it  the  history 
of  all  nations  ?  the  Americans,  the  Chinese, 
the  Scythians  ?  No,  doubtless ;  but  the  his- 
tory of  those  nations  only  which  have  had  to 
do  with  the  people  of  God ;  the  Babylonians, 
the  Medes  and  Persians,  the  Greeks,  the  Ro- 
mans, then  the  ten  Gothic  nations,  the  Turks, 
the  Russians,  and  Muscovites.  Now,  here 
is  my  map.  It  comprehends  the  whole  of 
what  is  called  the  prophetic  earth,  that  is, 
the  world  as  known  by  the  ancients,  the 
countries  which  had  connexion  with  the  peo- 
ple of  God,  the  four  great  monarchies.  You 
see  it  is  painted  in  three  different  coloius; 
the  sea  in  blue,  the  prophetical  countries  in 
white,  and  all  the  countries  beyond  the  limits 
of  prophecy  in  red. 

And  now,  my  dear  children,  I  am  sure 
you  understand  why  the  Lord,  when  he  sent 
a  dream  to  the  king  of  Babylon,  caused  him 
to  forget  it  before  morning.  It  was  to  afford 
Daniel  an  opportunity  of  making  it  known 
to  him,  and  thus  to  give  him  an  undeniable 
proof  that  the  revelation  of  the  meaning  of 
the  vision  was  not  less  certain  and  divine 
than  the  revelation  of  the  vision  itself  Dan- 
iel revealed  to  the  king  two  mysteries  at 
once ;  that  of  the  past  and  that  of  the  future. 
On  hearmg  of  the  mystery  of  the  past,  he 


82  SIXTH   LESSON. 

must  have  said,  It  is  so ;  I  now  remember  it ! 
of  a  truth  all  this  is  from  God  !  How,  then, 
could  he  doubt  the  mystery  of  the  future  ? 

Therefore,  it  was,  that  when  Daniel  had 
finished  speaking,  the  king  arose  and  fell  at 
his  feet. 

Now,  my  friends,  we  shall  presently  see 
that  we  also  have  equal,  yea,  stronger  and 
more  numerous  reasons  than  Nebuchadnez- 
zar, to  cast  ourselves  in  adoring  wonder,  not 
before  Daniel,  but  before  the  God  of  Daniel, 
when  we  read  the  astonishing  prophecies  of 
this  man  of  God. 

In  fact,  to  us,  as  well  as  to  Nebuchadnez- 
zar, these  predictions  present  a  double  aspect; 
the  first  of  which  ought  to  lead  us  to  adore 
the  wisdom,  power,  and  goodness  of  God; 
in  the  second,  I  shall  point  them  out  to  you. 

The  words  of  Daniel,  as  we  have  said,  had 
a  double  aspect  to  the  king  of  Babylon — the 
one  had  reference  to  the  past,  the  dream  it- 
self; the  other  looked  altogether  to  the  future, 
and  had  reference  to  events  prefigured  by  the 
dream — events,  which  Daniel  tells  the  king 
were  to  happen  after  him.  There  shall  be 
yet  three  kingdoms  after  thee,  that  of  the 
Medes  and  Persians,  that  of  the  Greeks,  thai 
of  the  Romans ;  and  after  all  these  there  shall 
arise  a  fifth,  that  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  shall 
fill  the  earth  and  never  pass  away. 

Now  this  prediction,  announced  to  the  king 
of  Babylon  2443  years  ago,  and  which  was 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  83 

altogether  future  to  him,  is  no  longer  so  to  us, 
at  least  not  wholly.  Relatively  to  us,  it  re- 
solves itself  into  two  parts,  one  of  which  was 
future  to  Nebuchadnezzar,  but  is  already  past 
to  our  generation ;  the  other  was  future  to 
Nebuchadnezzar,  and  is  likewise  so  to  us  in 
the  present  day. 

We  in  this  age  can  look  back  and  see  be- 
hind us  the  four  great  monarchies ;  they  have 
appeared  each  in  its  turn,  and  have  ruled  and 
oppressed  in  turn  the  people  of  God ;  they 
have  appeared  with  all  the  circumstances 
which  the  prophet  of  the  Lord  so  minutely 
predicted  more  than  2000  years  ago. 

Hence,  my  dear  children,  we  have  reason 
for  the  very  same  feelings  as  Nebuchadnez- 
zar. We  have  reason  to  adore  the  power, 
wisdom,  and  truth  of  God ;  to  acknowledge 
with  reverence  the  divine  inspiration  of  the 
Scriptures ;  and  to  await  with  firm  assur- 
ance, with  submission  and  with  prayer,  that 
which  is  yet  to  come,  the  kingdom  of  Jesus 
Christ,  which  shall  cover  the  earth,  break  the 
nations  with  a  rod  of  iron,  and  fill  the  hearts 
of  God's  people  with  joy  and  gladness,  as 
certainly  as  the  empires  of  the  Persians, 
Greeks  and  Romans  appeared  in  their  ap- 
pointed times  on  the  earth.  Therefore  '•  gird 
up  the  loins  of  your  mind,  be  sober,  and  hope 
to  the  end  for  the  grace  that  is  to  be  brought 
unto  you  at  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ." 
1  Peter  i.  1 3.     "  Be  ye  holy,  for  he  is  holy." 


SEVENTH    LESSON. 
Daniel  ii.  37,  38. 


? 


0  WHAT  a  wonderful  book  is  this !  how 
miraculous  !  how  loudly  does  it  speak  to  us 
when  we  peruse  it  Avith  attention!  Son  of 
man,it  is  the  God  of  heaven  speaks  to  thee 
in  this  book  ;  listen  to  him  therefore  reveren- 
tially ;  for  he  now  calls  thee  that  thou  mayest 
have  life. 

Last  Sunday  we  saw  Daniel  revealing  the 
future  to  the  king  of  Babylon  ;  and  without 
entering  into  any  explanation  of  these  aston- 
ishing prophecies,  you  were  enabled  to  form 
some  idea  of  their  divine  character.  As  the 
eagle  hovering  in  the  clouds,  above  the  sum- 
mits of  our  Alps,  discerns  from  a  distance  the 
plains  of  Italy,  towards  which  he  wings  his 
flight,  with  their  rivers  and  lakes,  forests  and 
cities ;  so  Daniel,  the  man  of  God,  in  these 
sublime  revelations,  rising  above  time,  and 
mounting  up  into  the  heights  of  faith,  soars 
tranquilly  over  the  future,  and  discovers  in 
the  distance  the  empires,  kings,  and  events 
which  were  to  agitate  the  world  at  successive 
periods ;  and  taking  in  with  one  glance  of 
his  prophetic  eye  the  whole  series  of  ages, 
from  Nebuchadnezzar  to  the  second  coming 

84 


THE    PROPHET   DANIEL.  85 

of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  speaks  to  us  of  (hose 
remote  times,  as  another  would  relate  the 
histories  of  the  past. 

Thus  God  predicts  the  future  destinies  of 
nationSjhecause  he  is  Sovereign  in  providence, 
as  he  is  Sovereign  in  nature.  He  can  foretel 
as  infallibly  the  distant  changes  of  empires 
as  the  revolutions  of  the  heavenly  bodies ;  he 
knows  as  certainly  what  the  commotions  of 
the  people  and  the  thousand  passions  of  kings 
will  produce,  as  what  the  thousand  attrac- 
tions of  the  stars  and  their  most  distant  courses 
will  bring  about  in  immensity. 

I  have  lately  been  much  struck  by  this 
thought,  in  reading  over  an  article  on  astrono- 
my, giving  the  details  of  an  eclipse  which  is 
expected  on  the  20th  of  the  present  month. 
It  is  then,  thought  I,  the  same  God  who  go- 
verns the  stars  and  the  nations  of  men ;  he 
rules  mankind,  who  dwell  on  earth,  as  well 
as  the  worlds  which  roll  in  infinite  space ;  he 
stays  the  commotions  of  the  people  as  well 
as  the  billows  of  the  sea ;  he  holds  in  his 
hand  the  hearts  of  kings,  as  he  counts  the 
hosts  of  heaven  and  calls  them  all  by  name. 
Hence  it  is  that  Daniel,  when  the  Spirit  of 
God  is  upon  him,  is  able  to  predict  the  revo- 
lutions of  empires,  just  as  Sir  Isaac  Newton, 
when  he  held  his  telescope  in  one  hand  and 
his  powerful  pen  in  the  other,  was  able  to 
predict,  centuries  beforehand,  the  variations 
and  revolutions  of  the  remotest  planets  in 
8 


86  SEVENTH    LESSON. 

the  region  of  space,  where  they  travel  at  the 
rate  of  1,500,000  miles  a  day. 

Thursday  next,  the  20th  of  the  month,  at 
fourteen  minutes  after  seven  o'clock,  p.  m., 
the  astronomers  of  Europe  will  he  in  their 
observatories,  watching  a  total  eclipse  of  the 
moon;  for  at  that  moment  that  planet  will  be 
seen  to  enter  the  earth's  shadow,  then  soon 
after  to  grow  dark,  become  like  blood,  and 
finally  to  undergo  a  total  eclipse  a  few  se- 
conds after  nine  o'clock.  The  end  of  the 
wonderful  phenomenon  will  be  observable  at 
Geneva  four  minutes  after  eleven  at  night. 

Thus  you  see  the  eclipse  which  we  expect 
on  Thursday  next  has  been  predicted  hun- 
dreds of  years  ago  ;  and  it  might  have  been 
predicted  two  or  three  thousand  years  ago 
by  the  astronomers  of  Babylon.  And  yet 
you  are  aware  that  the  moon  travels  more 
than  600  millions  of  miles  in  a  year.  It  ac- 
companies the  earth  in  space  with  a  velocity 
sixty  times  greater  than  that  of  a  cannon 
ball,  and  ceases  not  night  and  day  thus  to 
travel  at  the  rate  of  1200  miles  a  minute  ! 
Yea,  such  is  the  precision  with  which  the 
motions  of  the  heavenly  bodies  are  capable 
of  being  ascertained,  that  an  astronomer  in 
an  observatory  could  say  :  I  will  fix  a  tele- 
scope opposite  that  window,  with  two  threads 
of  spider's-web  placed  across  one  another  in 
the  centre  of  its  glass,  and  if  one  touches  on 
them  for  a  thousand  years,  I  can  tell  at  what 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  87 

hour,  what  mmute,  what  second,  any  given 
world  shall  pass  the  intersection  of  those  two 
threads  at  the  end  of  a  thousand  years,  after 
having  travelled  millions  of  millions  of  miles 
in  all  directions  of  the  universe. — Yea,  I  can 
even  tell  at  what  distance  from  the  earth  that 
star  will  be  at  the  expiration  of  three  thou- 
sand years. 

How  is  it  that  astronomers  are  able  to  pre- 
dict such  things  ?  Because  it  is  the  will  of 
God,  who  is  omnipotent,  to  show  us  by  the 
permanence  of  his  laws  in  nature,  that  he  is 
a  God  of  order,  and  a  God  of  truth,  with 
whom  there  is  not  yea  and  nay,  but  that  what 
he  is  pleased  to  begin,  his  hand,  without  fail, 
will  accomplish. 

Now  God  is  Sovereign  and  true  m  the 
Bible,  as  he  is  Sovereign  and  true  in  the  hea- 
vens.— And  as  the  astronomer,  with  his  tele- 
scope in  his  hand  can  predict,  ages  before,  the 
positions  of  the  heavenly  bodies,  their  mo- 
tions, changes,  eclipses,  and  revolutions,  so 
can  the  Christian,  with  the  book  of  prophecy 
in  his  hand,  predict  ages  before,  the  positions 
of  kingdoms,  their  revolutions,  victories,  de- 
cline, eclipses,  and  their  fall. 

Yes,  if  God  has  caused  them  to  be  written 
in  his  sacred  volume,  tliey  shall  happen  more 
certainly  than  the  rising  of  the  sun  to-mor 
row;  for  the  time  shall  come  when  thai 
glorious  orb  shall  shine  no  longer,  and  when 
the   moon  shall  not  give  her   light.      Bui 


S8  SEVENTH    LESSON. 

"  though  heaven  and  earth  pass  away,  the 
word  of  the  Lord  shall  never  pass  away." 

I  will  give  yon  one  striking  example  of 
this : — The  prophet  here  predicts  that  after 
Nebuchadnezzar,  who  was  "the  head  of 
gold,"  there  should  arise  "  another  kingdom 
inferior  to  his,"  which  should  overthrow  the 
kingdom  of  Babylon,  and  was  represented 
by  "the  breast  and  arms  of  silver."  This 
kingdom,  I  have  already  told  you,  was  that 
of  the  Medes  and  Persians,  which  was  to 
arise  seventy  years  after,  and  to  be  estab- 
lished by  a  king  named  Cyrus,  who  had  not 
yet  come  into  the  world.  But  further,  two 
hundred  years  before  Daniel,  when  the  Per- 
sians were  an  insignificant  people,  dwelling 
in  the  mountains,  unknown  in  the  world,  and 
especially  unknown  to  the  Jews,  there  lived  a 
prophet  who  not  only  predicted  the  downfall 
of  Babylon,  but  even  called  by  name  this  Cy- 
rus, who  was  to  be  born  in  this  unknown  coun- 
try, and  to  be  born,  observe,  240  years  after. 
This  prophet  was  Isaiah. — Isa.  xliv.  and  xlv. 
I  shall  request  you  to  read  these  passages  in 
a  few  moments. 

Thus  you  see  a  mere  child  at  Jerusalem, 
with  this  book  of  Isaiah  in  his  hand,  might 
have  predicted  the  taking  of  Babylon  by  a 
man  named  Cyrus,  just  as  an  astronomer  at 
Geneva,  with  his  telescope  in  his  hand,  can 
predict  an  eclipse  of  the  sun,  which  shall  be 
visible  in  this  place  1000  years  hence. 


THE    PROPHET   DANIEL.  89 

How  wonderful  then  is  the  God  of  the  Bi- 
ble !  how  mighty,  and  how  true  !  Of  this 
you  shall  meet  abundant  evidence  in  the  book 
of  this  prophet.  You  will  hear  him  foretel, 
for  example,  that  the  three  first  monarchies 
of  the  image  were  to  last  540  years,  and  they 
did  last  540  years ;  that  the  Babylonish  cap- 
tivity was  to  continue  70  years,  and  it  did 
continue  70  years ;  that  from  the  decree  of 
Cyrus  to  the  death  of  Jesus  Christ,  there 
were  to  elapse  70  weeks  of  years,  or  490 
years,  and  490  years  did  elapse  ;  that  one 
great  event  is  to  happen  at  the  end  of  1290 
3^ears ;  another  at  the  end  of  1335  years ;  and 
a  third  at  the  end  of  2300  years,  and  all  these 
periods  must  be  fulfilled,  as  certainly  as  the 
eclipse  next  Thursday  shall  last  the  number 
of  minutes  and  seconds  which  the  astrono- 
mers have  foretold. 

Ah !  my  friends,  there  is  here  something 
altogether  divine.  Hence,  the  greatest  of 
mathematicians  and  astronomers,  the  most 
powerful  mind  perhaps  that  ever  appeared  in 
this  world,  the  man  who  has  enabled  us  to 
penetrate  deepest  into  the  mysteries  of  crea- 
tion, the  great  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  having  set 
himself  to  the  study  of  prophecy,  was  so 
filled  with  admiration  at  what  he  there  dis- 
covered, that  he  exclaimed :  "  I  have  long 
studied  the  stars  and  the  glory  of  God  in 
creation ;  I  will  now  study  Daniel  and  the 
glory  of  God  in  the  prophecies  of  his  word  !" 

8* 


90  SEVENTH   LESSON. 

Hence  this  great  man  has  written  two  books, 
the  one  on  "  the  prmciples  of  Natural  Phi- 
losophy," the  other  on  the  prophecies  of 
Daniel  and  St.  John,  and  on  the  important 
events  which  they  predict ;  a  book  rich  in 
that  science  and  wisdom  with  which  God  had 
endowed  him  for  other  discoveries. 

It  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  mention 
what  it  was,  probably,  that  filled  the  mind 
of  this  illustrious  philosopher  with  such  a 
profound  admiration  for  the  study  of  prophe- 
cy. He  had  undertaken  to  fix  with  certainty, 
by  means  of  eclipses,  the  chronology  of  an- 
cient times ;  And  in  this  manner  I  will  search 
out,  said  he,  in  the  historians  of  antiquity,  all 
the  accounts  which  they  give  of  days,  when 
the  sun  was  darkened  and  became  the  coloiu: 
of  blood,  (for  these  phenomena  striking  them 
with  terror,  they  seldom  failed  to  record  them 
in  their  writings ;)  and  as  by  means  of  my 
calculations,  I  can  fix  with  the  greatest  accu- 
racy the  year,  day  and  hour  of  each  eclipse, 
I  shall  be  able  to  fix  the  precise  date  of  ail 
contemporary  events.  Thus  when  I  read  in 
Plutarch,  that  the  sun  was  veiled  in  darkness 
in  Italy,  the  year  that  Romulus  founded  the 
city  of  Rome,  I  can  say  with  certainty,  that  this 
celestial  phenomenon  happened  753  years, 
B.  c,  on  the  5th  of  July,  at  4  o'clock,  p.  m. 

Bat  what  connexion,  you  will  ask,  had 
this  study  with  the  prophecies  ?  It  had  this : 
Newton  in  pursuing  it  was  enabled  to  make 


THE    PROPHET   DANIEL.  91 

two  observations.  First,  he  saw,  in  thus 
counting  back  the  years  Avith  tlie  greatest 
exactness,  that  the  epochs  fixed  by  Daniel 
for  the  several  events  (for  example,  that  of 
the  seventy  weeks  of  years)  proved  perfectly 
correct. 

Again,  a  second  subject  of  admiration  was 
as  follows:  he  employed  for  his  computa- 
tions a  catalogue  of  eclipses,  drawn  up  by  a 
very  ancient  astronomer  named  Ptolemy. 
This  man  was  a  heathen,  and  lived  only  140 
years  after  Christ.  He  has  left  in  his  writings 
an  account  of  astronomical  observations  made 
at  Babylon,  during  a  long  series  of  years. 
Now  what  must  have  been  Newton's  admi- 
ration for  Daniel,  when  he  saw  that  the 
heathen  Ptolemy,  to  mark  the  years  of  his 
eclipses,  had  divided  the  ages  of  antiquity 
exactly  in  the  same  manner  as  the  Prophet 
had  done  745  years  before  him ;  that  is,  the 
astronomer  Ptolemy  saw  the  four  great  mo- 
narchies in  the  past,  as  Daniel  had  seen  them 
in  the  distant  future.  One  would  suppose,  in 
reading  Daniel,  that  he  had  followed  Pto- 
lemy, or  in  reading  Ptolemy,  that  he  had 
copied  Daniel.  Indeed,  as  this  man  of  God, 
contemplating  these  four  great  empires  which 
were  to  arise  in  the  world,  considers  them 
under  the  figure  of  a  single  statue,  and  as 
forming,  in  a  manner,  only  one  kingdom,  ex- 
isting successively  under  the  kings  of  Baby- 


92  SEVENTH   LESSON. 

Ion,  Persia,  and  Greece,  and  finally  under  the 
Latin  emperors  and  kings ;  so  in  like  manner 
does  the  heathen  philosopher  represent  them, 
745  years  after  him.  Enumerating  his  eclipses 
by  the  reign  of  kings,  he  calculates  them  with 
reference  to  the  same  four  monarchies  which 
Daniel  saw  in  a  remote  futm'e,  and  he  con- 
siders these  monarchies  as  a  succession  of 
reigns,  beginning  with  the  kings  of  Babylon, 
and  terminating  Avith  the  Roman  emperors. 

But  further,  I  would  observe,  that  as  in 
the  image  of  Daniel,  each  of  the  four  mon- 
archies commences  only  when  it  takes  the 
place  of  that  which  preceded  it,  so  the  hea- 
then Ptolemy,  in  his  list  of  kings,  which  he 
calls  a  mathematical  rule^or  canon  of  kings, 
comits  the  kings  of  Babylon  only  from  the 
year  when  they  made  themselves  masters  of 
Babylon,  and  so  for  all  the  rest.  Would  not 
one  imagine,  I  repeat,  that  the  heathen  phi- 
losopher had  before  his  eye  the  image  of  the 
prophet?  And  can  you  not  conceive  how 
Newton,  who  had  occasion  to  refer  so  often 
to  Ptolemy's  catalogue,  in  studying  the 
eclipses,  must  have  been  filled  with  admira- 
tion and  wonder  at  this  coincidence  ? 

Such  was  my  first  reflection.  I  have  en- 
tered, perhaps,  too  much  at  length  into  it. 
But  if  all  of  you  have  not  been  able  to  fol- 
low me  in  my  explanations,  I  hope,  at  least, 
you  will  be  able  to  remember  the  general 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  93 

drift  of  them.  In  a  few  words  it  is  this.  God 
rules  the  nations  as  he  does  the  worlds ;  he 
shows  himself  great  and  true  in  prophecy,  as 
he  does  in  astronomy;  he  makes  himself 
known  in  the  revolutions  of  kingdoms,  predict- 
ed and  pre-determined  in  his  counsels,  as  he 
does  in  the  revolutions  of  the  heavenly  bodies, 
which  travel  night  and  day  in  immensity. 

You  will  remember  that  I  concluded  my 
last  lecture  with  two  observations.  The  first 
was,  that  the  history  of  a  people  is  composed 
of  two  elements,  always  more  or  less  united, 
yet  always  perfectly  distinct,  the  interests  of 
its  religion  and  the  interests  of  its  politics, 
the  history  of  the  church  and  the  history  of 
the  empire.  My  second  was,  that  the  only 
nations  whose  history  we  must  expect  to  find 
in  prophecy,  are  those  which  have  had  to  do 
with  the  people  of  God. 

Hence,  when  the  prophecies,  speak  of  the 
earth,  and  sometimes  of  the  world,  we  are 
to  understand,  by  these  expressions,  the  vast 
territory  of  the  four  monarchies,  the  empire 
of  the  image,  and  nothing  more.  This  is 
what  is  called  the  prophetic  earth,  or  the 
prophetic  ivorld.  This  empire,  as  I  have 
already  observed,  is  represented  in  Scripture 
as  being,  in  a  manner,  one  ;  beginning  with 
the  kings  of  Babylon,  and  continued  through 
the  kings  of  Persia  and  Greece,  and  termi- 
nating in  the  Latin  kings.     Hence,  both  in 


94  SEVENTH    LESSON. 

the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ment we  frequently  find  Rome  called  Baby- 
lon ;  because,  in  the  eyes  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
which  embraces  at  one  glance  the  whole  suc- 
cession of  ages,  the  empire  of  Babylon  was 
the  commencement  of  the  Roman  empire, 
while  the  Roman  empire,  in  its  turn,  was 
merely  Babylon  in  its  development  and  in 
plenitude. 

This  last  remark  is  of  importance,  as  it 
serves  to  throw  considerable  light  on  the 
study  of  prophecy. 

Thus,  when  you  read  in  the  Revelation  of 
St.  John  the  description  which  he  gives  of 
the  city  of  Rome,  of  vv^hat,  xvii.  "the  city 
on  seven  mountains,"  as  he  calls  it,  ver.  9, 
"the  city  which  reigned"  in  his  time  "over 
the  kings  of  the  earth,"  ver.  18,  was  to  be- 
come ;  when  he  represents  it  as  an  adulte- 
rous church,  under  the  figure  of  an  empire 
prostitute,  "  clothed  in  fine  linen,  and  purple, 
and  scarlet,  adorned  with  gold,  and  precious 
stones,  and  pearls,"  xviii.  16,  and  when  he 
concludes  by  telling  you  the  name  thereof, 
you  will  no  longer  be  surprised  to  hear  him 
call  it  "Babylon  the  great,  the  mother  of 
harlots,  and  abominations  of  the  earth."  ver. 
5.  "  And  he  saw,"  he  says,  "  upon  her  fore- 
head, a  name  written."  Can  you  tell  me 
what  was  that  name  ? 

Mystery. 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  95 

But  what  mystery  ? 

Babylon  the  Great. 

He  saw  her  ridmg,  as  it  were,  upon  the 
Roman  emphe,  that  is,  "  sitting  upon  a  beast 
with  seven  heads  and  ten  horns,"  ver.  13, 
"  sitting  upon  many  waters,"  which  repre- 
sent "  peoples,  and  multitudes,  and  nations, 
and  tongues,"  ver.  15:  lastly,  he  saw  her 
under  the  form  of  a  woman  drunk — drunk! 
and  with  what  wine  ? 

Drunk  with  blood. 

And  with  what  blood  ? 

With  the  blood  of  the  saints  and  of  the 
martyrs  of  Jesus. 

And  when  John  saw  her,  '*  he  wondered 
with  a  great  admiration.^^ 

Thus,  then,  there  can  be  no  doubt  (and,  in 
fact,  here  all  are  agreed)  that  Rome  is  mys- 
tically called  Babylon,  by  the  Holy  Spirit  of 
God. 

But  while  we  are  on  this  subject,  I  am  de- 
sirous of  making  one  observation  more,  Avhich 
I  think  of  importance.  In  order  to  invest  all 
these  facts  with  more  interest,  and  to  assist 
you  in  remembering  them,  I  determined  to 
make  a  drawing  of  the  costume  of  the  kings 
of  Babylon ;  and  in  doing  this,  I  was  led  to 
look  over  those  ancient  historians  who  have 
given  the  most  detailed  account  of  the  usages 
of  the  Chaldeans.  One  of  these  authors  is 
a  great  geographer,  named  Strabo,  born  near 


96  SEVENTH    LESSON. 

the  country  of  the  Medes,  46  years  b.  c.  An- 
other, who  is  called  Herodotus,  the  most  an- 
cient of  the  Greek  historians,  was  a  learned 
traveller,  who  visited  the  city  of  Babylon 
himself.  He  wrote  less  than  100  years  after 
Daniel. 

We  learn,  from  these  historians,  that  the 
kings  of  Babylon  wore  on  their  finger  a  ring, 
which  served  them  for  a  seal ;  on  their  feet 
pantoflesy  or  slippers,  which  the  kings  they 
had  subdued  bowed  down  to  kiss ;  on  their 
person  a  white  tunic  or  cassock,  which  hung 
down  to  their  feet,  and  over  that  again  a 
large  white  cloak.  Lastly,  their  head-dress 
consisted  of  a  tiara,  or  large,  high,  round 
cap,  stiff  and  standing  erect,  with  two  pen- 
dant fillets,  or  bandelets,  one  on  each  side. 
The  sovereign  alone  had  a  right  to  such  an 
ornament ;  death  was  the  penalty  to  any  one 
who  ventured  to  wear  it ;  and  medalists  lay 
it  down  as  a  principle  of  their  science,  that 
all  coins  or  moneys  bearing  the  figure  of  a 
tiara,  belong  to  the  reign  of  some  eastern 
prince. 

Now,  it  is  difficult  for  any  one  who  has 
visited  the  city  of  Rome,  and  then  reads 
these  descriptions  of  the  ancient  historians, 
not  to  ask  himself  if  they  were  not  intended 
as  an  exact  delineation  of  the  prince  who 
reigns  in  that  metropolis.  Indeed,  in  his 
whole  person,  from  head  to  foot,  heresem- 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  97 

bles  Nebuchadnezzar.  On  his  finger  he  wears 
the  ring,  which  serves  him  for  a  seal,  called 
i\ie,  Jisher^s  ring,  (annulus  piscatorius,)  which 
he  receives  at  his  coronation ;  on  his  feet,  the 
slippers  which  the  kings  of  the  west  and  their 
ambassadors  stoop  down  to  kiss ;  on  his  per- 
son, the  white  tmiic  hanging  down  to  his  feet, 
over  which  a  large  white  satin  cloak,  em- 
broidered with  golden  stars,  and  with  lappets 
stretcliing  out  to  receive  the  incense ;  but 
especially  on  his  head  the  round,  stiff,  erect, 
and  magnificent  head-dress,  which  he  calls  his 
tiara,  with  two  bandelets,  or  fillets,  hanging 
down  one  on  each  side,  like  that  of  the  kings 
of  Babylon.  He  is  the  only  modern  prince 
who  wears  such  a  decoration  on  his  head  ; 
and  this  inimitable  cap  is  so  distinctive  a  part 
of  his  dress  and  symbol  of  his  character,  that 
he  has  assumed  it  as  his  crest  and  as  the  em- 
blem of  his  power.  It  is  emblazoned  upon  the 
walls  of  his  palaces,  upon  the  pillars  of  his 
temples,  and  upon  the  helms  of  his  soldiers ; 
it  is  embroidered  upon  his  standards,  and  you 
see  it  everywhere  waving  upon  the  seven 
hills.  You  will  find  a  picture  of  it  on  the 
next  page. 


98  SEVENTH    LESSON. 

THE    MYSTERY    OF    BABYLON. 


It  must  be  confessed  that  for  its  magnifi- 
cence, this  ornament  is  worthy  the  monarchs 
of  Babylon.  It  is,  say  the  historians,  of  ines- 
timable price,  resplendent  ivith  gold  and 
precious  stones   and  pearls,  Rev.  xvii.  4, 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  99 

That  of  Clement  VIII.  was  estimated  at 
500,000  pieces  of  gold ;  that  of  Martin  V. 
had,  we  are  told,  5^  lbs.  of  pearls,  and  15  lbs. 
of  gold.  That  of  Paul  IV.  was  studded  with 
an  enormous  quantity  of  rubies,  emeralds, 
chrysolites,  diamonds,  and  pearls,  purchased 
at  an  immense  price ;  that  of  Paul  V.  was 
even  still  more  magnificent.  I  have  not 
heard  the  value  of  that  of  the  reigning  pon- 
tiff, Gregory  XVI. 

But  there  is  another  feature  of  likeness  be- 
tween Babylon  the  type,  and  Babylon  the 
antitype,  which  I  think  of  great  importance, 
as  serving  to  show  the  closeness  of  their  re- 
semblance. It  is  this,  that  the  distinctive 
colour  of  both  these  comts  was  scarlet.  We 
arrive  at  the  knowledge  of  this  striking  point 
of  analogy  from  the  fifth  chapter  of  Daniel, 
where,  as  you  shall  see  hereafter,  the  prophet 
gives  an  account  of  that  mysterious  hand- 
writing which  appeared  to  Belshazzar,  king 
of  Babylon,  while  feasting  with  his  nobles, 
the  night  of  his  fall.  The  astonished  king 
sends  for  his  astrologers,  Chaldeans  and  sooth- 
sayers, to  decipher  these  unintelligible  charac- 
ters, and  thus  release  him  from  the  horril^le 
suspense  in  which  his  guilty  mind  is  held. 
And  what  is  the  recompense  which  he  offers 
to  the  successful  interpreters?  "And  the 
king  spake  and  said,  whosoever  shall  read 
this  writing,  and  show  me  the  interpretation 
thereof,  shall  be  clothed  with  scarlet ^^  (in- 


100  SEVENTH   LESSON. 

vested  with  the  distmctive  colour  of  the  nobles 
and  rulers  of  the  empire,)  "  and  have  a  chain 
of  gold  around  his  neck,  and  shall  be  the  third 
ruler  in  the  kingdom,"  Daniel  v.  7.  Now, 
we  read  in  Revelations  xvii,  that  the  woman 
whom  the  apostle  saw  in  his  vision,  and  upon 
whose  forehead  was  written,  mystery,  Baby- 
lon the  great,  the  mother  of  harlots,  and 
abominations  of  the  earth,  was  seated  upon 
a  scarlet-coloured  beast,  and  icas  arrayed 
in  purple  and  scarlet  colour,  verses  3,  4  ; 
and,  accordingly,  we  find  that  the  very  same 
colours  distinguish,  in  the  present  day,  the 
whole  court  of  the  Pope  of  Rome.  His 
bishops  are  clothed  in  purple,  his  cardinals, 
or  senators,  in  scarlet;  hat,  cap,  stockings, 
gloves,  shoes,  gown,  cloak,  are  all  scarlet. 
When  the  cardinals  are  about  to  set  him  on 
the  altar  of  God,  in  the  place  of  the  holy  sa- 
crament, for  the  purpose  of  adoring  him,  as 
they  say  themselves,  he  is  borne  beneath  a 
scarlet  canopy,  on  the  shoulders  of  twelve 
men,  clothed  from  head  to  foot  in  scarlet, 
while  others,  clothed  likewise  in  scarlet,  attend 
him  on  each  side,  with  large  fans  of  peacocks' 
feathers  in  their  hands. 

Such,  as  to  their  external  appearance,  are 
the  points  of  analogy  between  the  prince  de- 
signed by  "  the  head  of  gold,"  and  him  whose 
place  is  in  the  feet  of  the  image.  But  there 
are  points  of  difference  which  here  deserve 
to  be  noticed. 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  101 

1.  His  slippers,  which  kings  and  priests 
stoop  down  to  kiss,  adoring  him,  as  the  kings 
and  astrologers  used  to  do  to  the  monarch  of 
Babylon,  are  adorned  with  a  figure  which 
was  not  on  those  of  Nebuchadnezzar.  And 
what  is  that  figure  ?  Are  we  permitted  to 
utter  it  without  shuddering  ?  They  have 
dared  to  place  on  the  upper  part  of  his  slipper 
the  figure  of  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ ;  and  to  adore  the  cross  of  Jesus  Christ, 
people,  priests,  and  princes,  stoop  down  and 
kiss  the  shoe  of  this  Italian  priest ! ! 

2.  The  Roman  tiara  is  distinguished  by 
two  things,  which  we  do  not  observe  in  the 
Babylonian.  It  is  surmounted  by  a  triple 
crown,  which  the  Italians  call  the  triregno^ 
(three  kingdoms,)  a  circumstance  of  which 
we  shall  see  the  providential  and  prophetical 
meaning  in  Daniel  vii.  8,  and  24.  It  has, 
besides,  inscribed  upon  its  front  the  word 
MYSTERIUM  (mystery).  Revelations  xvii. 
5,  as  we  are  informed  by  many  travellers 
worthy  of  credit,  who  have  read  it  with  as- 
tonishment. When,  at  the  coronation  of  the 
Pope,  one  of  the  cardinals  places  this  triple 
crown  upon  his  head,  he  repeats  to  him  in 
Latin :  "  Revere  this  tiara,  adorned  with  the 
triple  crown,  and  know  that  thou  art  father 
of  the  princes  of  the  world,  (rectorum  orbis,) 
and  vicegerent  upon  earth  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ." 

9* 


102 


SEVENTH    LESSON. 


THE    TRIPLE    CROWN. 


Thus,  my  friends,  you  see  Babylon  is  Rome 
in  its  beginning,  and  Rome  is  Babylon  in  its 
development. 

We  shall  have  occasion  to  retm*n  more  at 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       103 

length  to  these  facts.  I  have  spoken  of  them 
here  rather  by  anticipation. 

Be  not  surprised  at  my  entering  into  these 
details  ;  they  may  appear  to  you  minute,  in- 
significant, perhaps,  even  puerile ;  but  it  is  in 
their  harmonious  combination,  it  is  in  the 
astonishing  assemblage  of  so  many  particular 
circumstances  together,  that  their  strength 
and  their  beauty  consist.  What  constitutes  the 
glory  and  certainty  of  prophecy  is  just  the 
simultaneous  concurrence  of  a  multitude  of 
little  events,  of  trifling  circumstances,  impro- 
bable, unforeseen,  undesigned,  insignificant, 
if  taken  alone,  but  by  their  union  rendered 
powerful  and  irresistible.  It  is  herein  that 
God  shows  his  power,  and  his  word  its  truth. 
What  more  insignificant  than  a  few  scattered 
rays  of  light  passing  through  an  opening  in 
the  shutter,  and  playing  on  my  hand ;  but  let 
them  be  collected  to  a  point  in  a  burning- 
glass,  and  you  will  soon  see  the  power  of  God. 
These  pencils  of  light,  once  united,  will  burn 
wood,  melt  the  hardest  metals,  and  even  con- 
sume stones.  It  is  just  so  with  prophecy. 
Like  a  burning-glass,  it  collects,  as  it  were,  to 
a  common  focus,  the  minutest  facts,  and  the 
most  insignificant  circumstances ;  and  thus  it 
kindles  a  light  which  fills  truth  with  bright- 
ness and  consumes  error. 

You  have  already  seen  a  remarkable  in- 
stance of  this.  Rome,  when  she  led  to  the 
stake  the   Husses,  the  Jeromes,  and  innu- 


104  SEVENTH    LESSON. 

merable  other  witnesses  of  Jesus,  caused  a 
tiara,  Avith  figures  of  devils  and  flames  of  fire 
painted  on  it,  to  be  placed  on  their  head. 
But  she  herself,  drunk  with  the  blood  of  the 
saints,  has  been  led,  without  knowing  it,  to 
place  on  her  own  head  the  tiara  of  Babylon 
the  Great,  the  mother  of  harlots  and  abomi- 
nations of  the  earth. 

But  let  us  resume  the  explanation  of  the 
verses  before  us. 

23.  "  But  there  is  a  God  in  heaven  that 
revealeth  secrets,  and  maketh  known  to 
Nebuchadnezzar  what  shall  be  in  the  latter 
days." 

You  see,  from  this,  that  the  prophecy  which 
we  are  considering,  reaches  to  those  remote 
and  glorious  days  called  in  scripture  "  the 
latter  times,^^  "  the  time  of  the  end,''^  that 
is,  the  time  when  the  Lord  shall  estabhsh  his 
kingdom  upon  earth,  having  previously  re- 
stored his  people  Israel  to  Jerusalem.  There- 
fore, before  we  go  further,  it  may  be  well  to 
compare  it  with  what  our  Lord  has  declared 
in  Luke  xxi.  4.  Speaking  of  the  time  during 
which  the  Jews  were  to  continue  dispersed 
among  the  nations,  and  the  Gentiles  were  to 
be  in  possession  of  Jerusalem,  he  says,  "They 
shall  be  led  away  captive  into  all  nations  : 
and  Jerusalem  shall  be  trodden  down  of  the 
Gentiles,  until  the  times  of  the  Gentiles  be 
fulfilled." 

Now,  this  is  the  period  of  the  image ;  and 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       105 

our  Lord  calls  it  the  times  of  the  Gentiles, 
because  it  is  the  time  during  which  it  is  given 
to  them  to  exercise  their  dominion  over,  and 
to  consummate  their  oppression  of,  the  peo- 
ple of  God ;  for,  after  that  they  shall  be 
broken,  their  power  shall  be  taken  away, 
and  their  dominion  shall  be  given  to  the  true 
worshippers  of  God,  "  the  people  of  the  saints 
of  the  Most  High.'^ 

31.  "Thou,  0  king,  sawest  and  behold! a 
great  image. '^ 

Remark  here  three  things. 

1.  The  monarchies  represented  by  this 
image  were  to  be  idolatrous,  and  all  their 
kings  were  to  cause  themselves  to  be  wor- 
shipped. It  is  on  this  account  they  appeared 
to  Nebuchadnezzar  under  the  similitude  of 
an  image,  or  statue,  such  as  he  was  accus- 
tomed to  serve,  or  to  cause  to  be  served. 

2.  They  were  to  be  active,  powerful,  and 
formidable  ;  and  therefore  it  is  that  this  per- 
sonage appeared  as  a  living  being,  standing 
on  his  feet,  with  menacing  aspect,  and,  as  it 
were,  assuming  before  the  monarch  an  im- 
posing and  terrible  attitude. 

3.  These  monarchies  were  to  be  sur- 
rounded with  all  that  glory  which  men  most 
admire ;  and  hence  it  is  that  its  "  brightness 
was  excellent." 

32.  "  This  image's  head  was  of  fine  gold." 
37,  38.  "  Thou,  0  king,  art  a  king  of  kings; 


106  SEVENTH    LESSON. 

for  the  God  of  heaven  hath  given  thee  a 
kingdom,  power,  and  strength,  and  glory. 
And  wheresoever  the  children  of  men  dwell, 
the  beasts  of  the  field  and  the  fowls  of  hea- 
ven hath  he  given  into  thine  hand,  and  hath 
made  thee  ruler  over  them  all.  Thou  art 
this  head  of  gold." 

Thou^  not  merely  thyself,  but  thy  family, 
thy  dynasty,  thy  son,  and  thy  grandson,  who 
shall  reign  after  thee.  "  Thou  art  the  king 
of  kings."  Nebuchadnezzar  was  the  suc- 
cessor of  the  kings  of  Assyria.  The  Assyrian 
was  the  most  ancient  and  the  noblest  of  mon- 
archies. Since  Nebuchadnezzar's  father,  it 
had  become  the  empire  of  Babylon,  and  the 
Chaldeans  formed  but  one  kingdom  with  the 
Assyrians.  The  young  king  Nebuchadnezzar 
had  met  with  the  most  extraordinary  suc- 
cesses from  the  very  commencement  of  his 
reign ;  everything  had  given  way  to  him. 
He  had  been  led,  from  his  victories  and  his 
brilliant  achievements,  to  regard  himself  as  the 
creator  of  his  own  magnificent  fortune,  and 
to  look  upon  himself  as  a  kind  of  demi-god. 
It  is  on  this  account  that  Daniel,  in  speaking 
of  his  power,  takes  care  to  tell  him,  "  The 
God  of  heaven  hath  given  thee  a  kingdom." 

The  prosperity  of  this  monarch  is,  perhaps, 
unrivalled  in  history,  and  whatever  may  have 
been  the  glory  of  Cyrus,  Alexander,  and  the 
Csesars,  the  splendour  of  the  kings  of  Baby- 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  107 

Ion  has  never  been  equalled.  "  He  was  the 
head  of  gold." 

His  magnificence  became  proverbial ;  and 
the  greatest  monarchs  of  subsequent  ages,  in 
the  height  of  their  ambition,  never  dreamt 
of  approaching  it.  He  reigned  forty-five 
years,  (or  if  you  count  from  the  death  of  his 
father,)  forty-three  ;  but  he  began  at  an  early 
age  his  uninterrupted  conquests.  He  took 
Jerusalem  three  times ;  destroyed  Nineveh  ; 
conquered  Persia ;  demolished  Tyre,  the 
queen  of  the  seas ;  subdued  a  great  part  of 
Arabia ;  made  himself  master  of  Egypt ; 
and  two  celebrated  Greek  historians  go  so 
far  as  to  say,  that  he  excelled  the  famous 
Hercules  in  the  greatness  of  his  exploits,  that 
he  pushed  his  conquests,  in  the  north,  into 
Thrace  ;  and  on  the  west,  all  along  the  north- 
ern coast  of  Africa,  and  as  far  as  Spain. 

I  shall  have  occasion  presently  to  speak  to 
you  of  his  capital,  Babylon.  Never,  it  would 
appear,  was  there  anything  like  it  under  the 
sun.  Sixty  miles  in  circumference,  its  walls 
were  350  feet  high  and  87  wide  ;  it  had  100 
gates,  a  tower  600  feet  high,  hanging  gar- 
dens ;  and  a  tunnel  under  the  Euphrates,  like 
that  which  is  now  constructed  under  the 
Thames. 

This  magnificence,  however,  was  not  to 
last;  and  Daniel  did  not  hide  it  from  the 
king.  From  the  midst  of  one  of  the  most 
obscure  provinces  of  the  empire,  the  country 


108  SEVENTH    LESSON. 

of  Elam,  after^vards  called  Persia,  there  was 
to  arise  a  prince,  who  was  to  overthrow  the 
mighty  kingdom  of  Babylon  76  years  later, 
and  to  put  to  death  the  children  of  Nebu- 
chadnezzar. 

39.  "  After  thee  shall  arise  another  king- 
dom inferior  to  thee." 

Persia  was  an  inconsiderable  province  in 
the  days  of  Daniel ;  but  it  shall  arise,  saith 
the  prophet,  it  shall  become  the  second  mon- 
archy— and  yet,  notwithstanding  the  great- 
ness which  it  shall  attain  to,  it  shall  never 
equal  thine  ;  this  kingdom  shall  be  of  silver, 
and  shall  be  inferior  to  thine. 

And  here  observe,  this  second  empire  is 
represented  by  the  breast  and  arms,  "  the 
breast  and  arms  ivere  of  silver. ^^ 

Why  this  minuteness  ?  It  is  far  from  being 
indifferent ;  and  you  shall  see  hereafter  that 
it  was  impossible  to  describe  more  accurately 
this  kingdom,  which  being  at  first  composed 
of  two  distinct  nations,  the  Medes  and  Per- 
sians, coalesced  for  the  overthrow  of  the 
Babylonian  empire.  As  in  the  human  body 
the  two  arms  unite  above  the  breast,  so  in 
like  manner  the  Medes  and  Persians  united 
so  as  to  form  henceforth  but  one  empire  and 
one  people. 

The  father  of  the  young  Cyrus  had  mar- 
ried the  daughter  of  the  king  of  the  Medes ; 
and  he  himself  had  been  brought  up  at  the 
court  of  his  grandfather;    he   early  distin- 


THE    PROPHET   DANIEL.  109 

guished  himself  by  his  shining  virtues ;  and 
when  he  was  grown  up,  being  placed  at  the 
head  of  the  army,  he  obtained  victory  after 
victory,  until,  70  years  after  the  captivity  of 
Daniel,  he  took  the  mighty  Babylon,  and  im- 
mediately published  a  decree  for  the  restora- 
tion of  the  Jews. 

This  is  the  place  to  read  that  wonderful 
passage  relative  to  this  prince  in  Isaiah,  writ- 
ten 240  years  before  he  came  into  the  world. 
See  Isaiah  xliv.  and  xlv.  Notice  especially 
verses  1 — 6  of  the  latter  chapter. 

Now,  suppose  a  book  had  been  written  at 
Geneva  200  years  ago,  containing  a  complete 
history  of  Napoleon,  and  even  calling  him  by 
name,  "  I  have  called  thee  by  name ;  thou 
shalt  be  called  Bonaparte ;  thou  shalt  appear 
after  two  centuries  have  elapsed ;  a  mighty 
warrior,  thou  shalt  subdue  nations  and  loose 
the  loins  of  kings ;  from  the  Isle  of  Corsica 
shalt  thou  come,  thou  shalt  make  thyself 
master  of  France,  conquer  Italy,  and  the  far 
distant  Egypt,  then  return  and  subdue  the 
continent  of  Europe,  torment  the  nations, 
and  then  die  on  a  rock  in  the  midst  of  the 
sea."  What  profound  astonishment,  what 
divine  reverence  would  we  feel  for  such  a 
book !  Ah !  we  need  not  wonder  that  Cy- 
rus, after  reading  the  book  of  the  Jews, 
favoured  that  prophetic  nation,  and  published 
an  edict  for  their  return  to  Judea. 

Learn,  then,  from  these  facts,  how  precious 
10 


110  SEVENTH   LESSON. 

is  the  Bible  to  the  true  Christian,  the  Chris- 
tian who  knows  that  it  was  given  him  to  lead 
him  to  God,  to  deliver  him  from  the  power 
of  Satan,  to  publish  to  him  the  forgiveness 
of  sins,  to  proclaim  to  him  the  second  coming 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Clirist,  and  to  lead  him  to 
everlasting  life. 


EIGHTH    LESSON. 
Daniel  ii.  37 — 39. 

On  Sunday  last  we  resumed  the  explana- 
tion of  Nebuchadnezzar's  dream,  and  Dan- 
iel's interpretation ;  but  we  had  only  time  to 
consider  the  first  words,  "  Thou,  0  king,  art 
a  king  of  kings ;  for  the  God  of  heaven  hath 
given  thee  a  kingdom,  power,  and  strength, 
and  glory.  Thou  art  that  head  of  gold," 
verses  37,  38.  We  shall  now  proceed  to  con- 
sider the  second  monarchy,  and  in  explain- 
ing the  verses  before  us,  we  shall  direct  your 
attention  particularly  to  the  series  of  em- 
blems which  the  image  brings  under  our  no- 
tice, from  the  head  even  to  the  toes  of  the 
feet. 

We  read,  "  His  breast  and  his  arms  were 
of  silver,  ver.  32 ;  and  again,  "  After  thee 
shall  arise  another  kingdom  inferior  to  thee," 
ver.  39. 

Here  is  the  second  monarchy ;  and,  in  or- 
der to  understand  it,  we  must  carefully  notice 
four  things. 

1st. — There  is  a  change  of  metal.  It  is 
not,  properly  speaking,  a  new  empire,  but  a 
new  people,  a  new  language,  a  new  dynasty, 

111 


112  EIGHTH    LESSON. 

which  rises  up  to  rule  over  the  world,  and  to 
hold  under  its  sway  the  people  of  God. 

The  time  of  the  image  ("  the  times  of  the 
Gentiles,"  according  to  our  Lord,  Luke  xxi. 
24,)  that  is,  the  period  during  which  the  Gen- 
tiles are  to  rule  over  Jerusalem,  and  to  tram- 
ple it  under  foot ;  this  time  began  with  the 
Babylonians,  under  Nebuchadnezzar  and  his 
successors;  it  continued  under  Cyrus,  king 
of  Persia,  and  his  successors ;  and  afterwards, 
when  the  silver  changed  into  brass,  under 
Alexander  and  his  successors ;  until,  finally, 
when  the  brass  became  iron,  the  Latins  took 
the  place  of  the  Greeks  in  governing  the 
world  and  oppressing  the  people  of  God. 

When  the  metal  changes,  it  denotes  a 
change  of  people  and  language.  This  is  my 
first  observation. 

2.  In  the  constitution  of  the  image,  there 
is  no  interval  between  the  gold  and  the  sil- 
ver. The  image,  though  composed  of  dif- 
ferent metals,  is  ojie.  It  refers,  therefore,  to 
one  and  the  same  empire,  commencing  with 
the  Chaldean  kings,  and  continued,  without 
interruption,  in  the  Persian  monarchs. 

3.  The  second  metal  is  inferior  to  the  first; 
that  was  gold;  this  is  silver;  the  empire 
which  it  represents  must,  therefore,  be  one, 
which,  though  powerful  and  terrible,  was  to 
be  less  brilliant,  less  rich,  and  less  glorious 
than  that  of  Babylon. 

4.  This  second  kingdom  is  not  represented 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       113 

by  the  breast  alone,  but  also  by  the  two 
arms,  which  are  expressly,  and  not  without 
intention,  mentioned  in  the  prophecy,  ver.  39. 
It  was,  therefore,  to  be  an  empire,  which, 
though  in  its  commencement  composed  of 
two  kingdoms,  was  soon  after  to  be  consoli- 
dated into  one. 

But  here,  before  proceeding  further,  I  wish 
to  notice  a  course  of  interpretation  which 
deserves  your  particular  attention.  It  is  this, 
that  the  chronology  of  the  four  monarchies 
is  taught  us  in  the  image,  hy  the  respective 
height  of  the  different  einhlems  hy  which 
they  are  represented.  I  mean,  that  in  the 
history  of  the  monarchies,  the  order  of  their 
times  follow  exactly  the  order  in  which  the 
members  of  the  human  body,  from  the  head 
to  the  feet,  are  placed.  Thus,  the  head  re- 
presents the  most  ancient  of  the  monarchies, 
because  it  commands  the  whole  body ;  then 
comes  the  breast,  and  as  the  arms  are  situated 
at  the  upper  part  of  the  breast,  and  are  joined 
to  it  at  the  shoulders,  they  clearly  typify  two 
kingdoms ;  which  from  their  commencement 
join  together  to  exercise  a  common  dominion, 
and  to  be  separated  no  more. 

And  observe,  that  with  the  third  monarchy 
it  is  quite  the  reverse ;  for  here  not  only  does 
the  belly  of  brass  come  below  the  breast  of 
silver,  that  is  the  monarchy  represented  by 
the  belly  follows  that  symbohzed  by  the 

10* 


114  EIGHTH    LESSON. 

breast ;  but  the  thighs  of  brass  being  situated 
beneath  the  belly,  intimates  that  it  was  in  the 
latter  times  of  its  empire  that  the  third  mon- 
archy, at  first  one,  was  to  be  divided  into 
two. 

And  observe,  further,  that  below  the  thighs 
of  brass,  the  legs  of  iron  intimate  a  fourth 
and  last  monarchy;  that  below  the  place 
where  these  legs  have  become  iron,  this 
metal  changes,  and  becomes  mixed  with 
clay ;  while,  below  this  mixture,  the  feet  di- 
vide into  ten  toes,  to  denote  that  the  fourth 
monarchy  was  to  be  broken  up  into  two 
kingdoms,  after  having  previously  undergone 
the'change  represented  by  the  mixtiue  of  the 
clay  with  the  iron. 

Such,  then,  is  the  very  simple  principle 
which  determines,  with  equal  clearness  and 
precision,  the  chronology  of  the  four  monarch- 
ies, hy  the  respective  height  of  the  emblems 
of  the  image.  I  shall,  hereafter,  point  out  the 
marks,  equally  precise,  by  which  we  are  en- 
abled to  fix  their  geography  with  satisfactory 
exactness. 

But  we  now  return  to  the  breast  and  arms 
of  silver.  If  you  open  the  book  of  ancient 
scripture  history,  you  will  see  with  admira- 
tion how  perfectly  it  agrees  with  that  of  pro- 
phecy. 

Do  you  know  what  monarchy  overthrew 
that  of  the  Chaldeans  ? 


THE    PROPHET   DANIEL.  115 

That  of  Cyrus  the  Great. 

The  people  of  that  monarch  were  com- 
posed of  two  nations.     Who  were  they  ? 

The  Medes  and  Persians. 

Until  that  time  these  two  races,  composed 
themselves  of  different  momitain  tribes,  had 
formed  two  distinct  kingdoms :  but  being 
united  under  Cyrus,  they  formed  from  hence- 
forth but  one  people,  so  that  the  Persians, 
who  before  were  very  inferior  to  the  Medes, 
and  had  not  risen  until  after  them,  soon  ac- 
quired the  ascendant,  through  the  influence 
of  Cyrus. 

This  same  circumstance  you  will  find  re- 
presented in  chap.  viii.  under  the  emblem  of 
"  a  ram  with  two  horns,"  and  "  the  higher 
came  up  last.'^  And  lest  we  should  mistake 
the  meaning  of  these  prophetic  representa- 
tions, and  indulge  in  our  own  imaginations, 
Daniel  takes  care  to  tell  us,  "  The  ram  which 
thou  sawest  having  two  horns,  are  the  kings 
of  the  Medes  and  Persians." 

I  shall  now  relate,  in  a  few  words,  for  the 
benefit  of  those  who  are  unacquainted  with 
it,  the  history  of  the  second  kingdom. 

Five  years  after  the  day  when  the  young 
prophet  Daniel  revealed  to  the  king  of  Baby- 
lon the  destinies  of  these  kingdoms,  that  is 
600  years  before  Christ,  there  was  born  in  a 
mountainous  country,  subject  at  that  time  to 
Nebuchadnezzar,  and  called  Elam  or  Persia, 
a  male  child,  whose  parents  gave  him  the 


116  EIGHTH  LESSON. 

name  of  Cyrus.  His  father  and  mother 
were  heathens ;  they  Uved  1200  miles  from 
Jerusalem,  and  were  very  far  from  suspecting 
that  the  name  of  their  infant  had  been  Avrit- 
ten  240  years  before,  in  the  sacred  book  of  a 
weak  and  despised  nation,  then  in  bondage 
at  Babylon.  How  could  they,  who  were 
themselves  the  tributaries  of  the  great  Nebu- 
chadnezzar, have  supposed  that  it  was  pre- 
dicted in  this  book  that  their  little  Cyrus  was 
chosen  of  the  God  of  heaven  to  subdue  na- 
tions, unloose  the  loins  of  kings,  and  to  say 
to  Jerusalem :  "  Thou  shalt  be  built,  and  to 
the  temple,  thy  foundations  shall  be  laid." 

Yet  so  it  was;  and  what  the  Lord  had 
decreed  concerning  this  child  of  the  moun- 
tams,  was  to  have  its  accomplishment  in  due 
time. 

Cyrus's  mother  was  the  daughter  of  the 
prince  of  the  INIedes  ;  his  father  was  prince 
of  the  Persians.  After  the  death  of  Nebu- 
chadnezzar, the  Babylonian  yoke  being  miti- 
gated, the  king  of  the  Medes  soon  became 
powerful ;  and  his  daughter  sent  the  youthful 
Cyrus  to  be  educated  at  the  court  of  his 
grandfather.  Here  he  soon  made  himself 
admired  and  loved  by  every  one.  He  was 
placed  at  the  head  of  the  army  of  the  Medes 
and  Persians,  who  had  revolted  against  the 
king  of  Babylon.  Cyrus  was  everywhere 
victorious ;  he  obtained  immense  conquests, 
and  at  length,  having  laid  siege  to  the  power- 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.        117 

ful  Babylon,  he  took  it,  and  slew  the  king, 
and  thus  became  master  of  the  world,  and 
liberator  of  the  children  of  Israel.  God 
touched  his  heart  in  their  favour,  so  that  he 
set  them  free,  after  a  captivity  of  seventy 
years,  and  sent  them  back  to  their  own  coun- 
try by  a  solemn  decree,  in  which  he  said  to 
Jerusalem,  "  Be  thou  built ;  and  to  the  tem- 
ple, let  thy  foundations  be  laid."  Read  Isa. 
xiv.  26 — 28,  and  xlvi.  1 — 6  ;  and  remember 
that  these  passages  were  written  240  years 
before  the  birth  of  Cyrus,  and  1200  miles 
from  the  place  of  his  nativity. 

But  enough  respecting  the  breast  and 
arms  ;  let  us  now  proceed  to  the  third  mon- 
archy. 

In  the  32nd  ver.  we  read  :— ^'  The  belly 
and  thighs"  of  the  image  "  were  of  brass  ;" 
and  lower  down,  ver.  39,  we  are  told  of  "  a 
third  kingdom,"  which  was  "to  bear  rule 
over  all  the  earth." 

Mark,  attentively,  these  three  circumstan- 
ces. 

1.  The  brass  followed  the  silver,  and  im- 
mediately, without  any  interval  blended  with 
it.  A  third  empire,  therefore  a  third  people, 
a  third  language,  was  to  arise  and  to  follow 
immediately,  the  people  and  language  of  the 
Persians,  in  the  government  of  the  nations 
and  the  dominion  of  the  people  of  God. 

2.  Brass  is  less  brilliant  than  silver,  as  sil- 
ver is  less  so  than  gold.     This  monarchy, 


lis  EIGHTH    LESSON. 

therefore,  was  to  be  less  rich,  and  less  glorious 
than  that  of  Cyrus,  though  it  was  to  rule  over 
the  whole  of  the  earth  then  known  to  the 
people  of  God. 

3.  Not  merely  the  belly,  but  likewise  the 
thighs  also,  were  of  brass.  The  third  em- 
pire, therefore,  after  having  formed  one  single 
and  all  powerful  kingdom,  was,  in  the  latter 
times  of  its  dominion,  to  separate  into  two 
states,  formed  out  of  the  same  people,  and 
speaking  the  same  language. 

And,  now,  what  is  that  kingdom  ?  Doubt- 
less you  have  already  named  it  in  your  own 
minds  ;  those  of  you  at  least  who  have  any 
acquaintance  with  ancient  history.  It  is  that 
of  Alexander  the  Great,  the  king  of  Mace- 
don,  and  general  of  the  Greeks.  This  is 
what  is  called  the  Grecian  emjoire.  And  if 
you  had  read  the  eighth  chapter  of  Daniel, 
you  could  have  told  this  without  having  any 
knowledge  of  history  whatsoever  ;  for  in  that 
passage,  the  prophet  not  only  represents  it 
under  the  image  of  a  he-goat,  but  he  desig- 
nates it  at  full  length  by  its  name.  "The 
rough  goat,"  he  tells  us,  "is  the  king  of 
Grecia."  He  even  goes  further,  for  he  ex- 
plains to  us,  (chap.  viii.  and  xi.,)  what  we  are 
to  understand  by  the  thighs  of  brass  situated 
below  the  belly  in  the  image.  The  third 
monarchy,  he  tells  us,  that  is  the  Grecian, 
was  to  be  divided  into  four  kingdoms  ;  ancl 
subsequently,  two  of  these  four,  (the  only 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       119 

two  with  which  the  people  of  God  were  to 
be  connected,)  were  to  become  more  consider- 
able than  the  others ;  so  that  one  of  them, 
(the  king  of  Syria,)  was  to  be  called  the  king 
of  the  North,  and  the  other,  (the  king  of 
Egypt,)  the  king  of  the  South.  Read  chap, 
vih.  21,22,  and  xi.  2 — 5,  and  you  will  ac- 
knowledge it  is  impossible  for  anything  to 
be  clearer. 

Now,  if  you  turn  to  the  page  of  history, 
you  will  find  it  to  contain  an  exact  repetition 
of  what  you  have  read  in  these  wonderful 
times  of  the  prophet  Daniel. 

Two  hundred  and  forty-nine  years  after 
the  day  on  which  Daniel  explained  futmity 
to  the  king  of  Babylon,  there  was  born  in 
the  little  kingdom  of  Macedonia,  a  child, 
who  was  afterwards  to  be  called  Alexander 
the  Great,  and  was  destined  to  conquer  the 
then  known  world.  Scarcely  had  he  arrived 
at  the  years  of  manhood,  when  he  became  a 
great  and  redoubtable  warrior ;  he  was  not 
more  than  twenty-one  years  of  age  when  all 
the  states  of  Greece  named  him  as  their 
general,  to  attack  the  powerful  empire  of  the 
Kledes  and  Persians,  and  the  year  following 
he  passed  over  into  Asia.  He  conquers  every 
thing  in  his  way  ;  he  marches,  or  rather  flies 
like  the  whirlwind;  the  most  impregnable 
fortresses  fall  before  him ;  the  most  formida- 
ble armies  are  destroyed  in  a  day ;  the  mighty 
Tyre  is  burnt  to  the  ground  ;  Gaza  is  demo 


120  EIGHTH    LESSON. 

lished;  Egypt  is  conquered  in  a  few  weeks ; 
Babylon  opens  her  gates ;  the  ill-fated  king 
of  the  Medes  and  Persians,  after  being  pur- 
sued for  a  long  time,  falls  covered  with 
wounds ;  and  after  five  years  of  rapid  and 
successful  war,  such  as  never  had  been  seen 
before,  this  young  prince,  scarcely  twenty-six 
years  of  age,  mounts  the  throne  of  Nebu- 
chadnezzar and  of  Cyrus,  and  beholds  him- 
self monarch  of  the  world,  and  "master  of 
the  land  and  the  sea." 

Scarcely,  however,  has  this  young  con- 
queror returned  from  the  far  distant  Hydaspes 
and  Indus,  and  re-entered  Babylon,  which 
he  designed  to  make  the  centre  of  his  empire, 
when  he  is  seized  with  a  violent  fever,  and 
after  a  few  days  dies.  In  vain  does  he  plunge 
several  times  into  the  Euphrates ;  in  vain 
does  he  immolate  innumerable  victims  in  the 
temples  of  Babylon  ;  in  vain  are  all  the  arts 
of  medical  science  brought  to  his  aid;  he  is 
called  to  surrender  up  his  palaces,  his  armies, 
his  empires,  with  his  life,  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
two  ;  death  in  a  moment  silences  that  com- 
manding voice  Avhich  made  the  earth  to 
tremble,  and  he  for  whom,  the  evening  before, 
the  world  seemed  too  small,  is  enclosed  in  a 
tomb  of  porphyry,  which  has  lately  been 
found  in  Egypt,  and  is  now  in  the  IMuseum 
of  London. 

Five  years  after  his  death,  his  wife,  his 
brothers,  his  sisters,  and  his  children,  had  all 


THE    PROPHET   DANIEL.  121 

perished ;  and  his  generals,  phinged  in  blood, 
were  now  disputing  for  his  vast  empire.  At 
length,  after  thirty  years  of  war,  they  "  di- 
vided it  toward  the  four  winds  of  heaven," 
into  four  kingdoms,  two  of  which  (the  only 
ones  that  had  to  do  with  the  people  of  God,) 
soon  became  more  powerful  than  the  others. 
These  were,  north  of  Jerusalem,  the  Grecian 
kingdom  of  the  Seleucidas,  in  Syria  ;  and, 
south  of  Jerusalem,  the  Grecian  kingdom 
of  the  Ptolemies  of  Egypt,  Seleucus  and 
Ptolemy  were  two  of  Alexander's  generals  ; 
and  their  descendants,  who,  in  Daniel,  are 
called  the  king  of  the  North  and  the  king 
of  the  South,  reigned  until  the  arrival  of  the 
Romans,  and  ruled,  in  turn,  over  the  people 
of  God.  Thus  has  the  word  of  God  been 
accomplished  in  the  destinies  of  the  three 
first  kingdoms.  We  shall  see  in  our  next 
lecture  those  of  the  fomth. 


11 


NINTH    LESSON. 
Daniel  xi.  40 — 46. 

On  Sunday  last  we  considered,  from  the 
words  of  Daniel,  three  of  the  great  monar- 
chies, which,  after  his  time,  were  to  govern 
the  world,  and  to  rule  over  the  people  of  God. 
It  now  remains  for  us  to  take  a  view,  first, 
of  the  fourth  monarchy,  that  is,  of  the  legs 
of  iron,  the  feet  of  iron  and  clay,  with  the 
toes ;  and  then,  of  the  fifth,  the  stone  cut  out 
of  the  mountain  without  hands,  which  is  to 
break  in  pieces  the  feet  of  the  image,  to  re- 
duce to  powder  the  iron,  the  clay,  the  brass, 
the  silver  and  the  gold,  and  to  become  a  great 
mountain,  filling  the  whole  earth. 

You  remember  the  two  great  revolutions 
which  have  already  been  brought  before  us. 
After  the  domination  of  Nebuchadnezzar, 
we  saw  Cyrus  coming  from  the  east  with  his 
Medes  and  Persians ;  and  after  them  Alexan- 
der the  Great,  king  of  Macedon,  rushing 
from  the  west,  at  the  head  of  his  countless 
phalanxes  of  Greeks. 

But  before  we  resume  the  explanation  of 

our  verses,  I  wish  to  show  you  the  picture 

which  I  have   prepared  for  you,  as  it  will 

enable  you  to  forai  a  correct  idea  of  the  suc- 

122 


THE    PROPHET   DANIEL. 


123 


cession,  connexion,  and  chronological  order 
of  these  great  events. 

NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S  VISION. 

The  year  605  before  Jesus  Christ. 


124  NINTH    LESSON. 

\Vliat  is  the  chronological  principle  of  tlie 
emblems  of  this  image  ?  Their  respective 
height  in  the  image.  You  can  easily  distin- 
guish it  in  this  picture.  Observe :  the  head 
of  gold  commences  in  the  year  605  b.  c.  ;  for 
it  was  then  Nebuchadnezzar  ascended  his 
throne.  The  arms  of  silver  begin  in  538, 
the  year  in  which  Darius,  the  Mede,  and 
Cyrus,  the  Persian,  his  sister's  son,  took  Ba- 
bylon, and  formed  a  new  empire.  The  belly 
of  brass  begins  in  330,  when  Alexander  the 
Great  destroyed  the  monarchy  of  the  Per- 
sians, and  assumed  their  place.  The  belly 
of  brass  is  superseded  by  the  thighs  of  brass 
in  300  B.  c,  when  the  generals  of  Alexander 
the  Great  divided  his  empire,  Seleucus  taking 
Syina,  and  the  country  east  as  far  as  India, 
and  Ptolemy  causing  himself  to  be  acknow- 
ledged king  of  Egypt. 

I  happened  to  take  up  a  book  the  other 
day,  which  struck  me  in  a  very  forcible  man- 
ner, and  which,  most  unexpectedly,  but  most 
agreeably,  suggested  to  me  the  ideas  which 
I  am  now  laying  before  you.  It  was  the 
travels  of  two  Englishmen  along  the  banks 
of  the  river  Euplirates,  in  the  plains  of  Baby- 
lon. I  said  that  never  had  there  existed  in 
the  world  a  more  magnificent  city ;  its  walls 
were  sixty  miles  in  circumference,  eighty- 
seven  feet  thick,  and  300  feet  high ;  its  quays 
along  the  Euphrates  were  of  the  same 
height ;  its  palaces,  of  inimitable  splendour, 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  125 

rose  to  an  elevation  of  600  feet ;  it  had,  be- 
sides, hanging  gardens,  and  other  wonders  of 
the  extraordinary  genins  of  Nebuchadnezzar. 
But  what  do  you  think  these  Enghshmen 
did  ?  they  rode  at  full  gallop  over  the  site  of 
Babylon,  and  they  searched  for  Babylon. 
They  searched  for  it,  and  they  found  it 
not ;  for  it  no  longer  exists,  and  its  place 
knoweth  it  no  more.  According  to  the  pro- 
phecies of  Isaiah  and  Jeremiah,  which  I 
regret  I  have  not  time  to  quote  here,  it  has 
become  "  pools  of  water,  and  a  lurking-place 
for  wild  beasts."  In  a  word,  they  beheld  an 
extensive  plain,  alternately  dry,  barren,  and 
sandy,  or  covered  with  pools  of  water  and 
vast  marshes,  and  studded  Avith  innumerable 
little  hillocks,  which  were  evidently  only 
heaps  of  ruins.  This  was  Babylon  the 
Great.  They  could  have  no  doubt  that  there 
once  had  existed  upon  this  spot  a  large  and 
populous  city  ;  for  they  descried  on  an  emi- 
nence more  considerable  than  the  rest,  and 
evidently  composed  of  rubbish,  a  very  lofty 
ruin.  They  proceeded  in  the  direction  of 
it ;  but  before  they  reached  it,  one  of  them 
espied,  a  great  way  off,  on  the  summit  of 
this  mound,  four  small  black  points,  which 
seemed  to  move.  What  can  these  moving 
objects  be  ?  exclaimed  they ;  they  must  be 
some  of  the  marauding  Arabs,  who  abound 
in  these  deserts ;  but  one  of  them,  taking  out 
his  glass,  and  applying  it  to  his  eye,  dis- 

II* 


126  NINTH    LESSON. 

covered  them  to  be  four  magnificent  lions, 
who  were  thus  walkmg  about  around  the 
ruins  of  Babylon,  where  they  had  made  their 
den,  as  on  their  own  domain. 

Such  is  the  end  of  Babylon,  that  city  which 
was  called  "  the  glory  of  kingdoms,  the 
beauty  of  the  Chaldee's  excellency,  the  ham- 
mer of  the  whole  earth."  It  has  become  the 
abode  of  wild  beasts,  and  pools  of  water ; 
there  remaineth  nothing  of  it,  nothing  of  the 
Persians,  nothing  of  the  JMacedonians,  no- 
thing of  the  Romans ;  but  the  word  of  the 
Lord,  the  book  of  the  oracles  of  the  living 
God  is  eternal;  it  is  immutable,  and  shall 
never  pass  away ! 

Yes ;  2443  years  ago,  on  the  banks  of  that 
river,  Euphrates,  where  now  the  lion  of  the 
desert  prowls,  there  stood  a  magnificent  city ; 
there  were  sumptuous  palaces — a  conquering 
people — an  immense  commerce — sages,  as- 
tronomers, politicians,  generals,  governors, 
kings,  queens,  princes,  splendid  feasts,  melo- 
dious concerts,  acclamations  of  joy  and  tri- 
umph. In  the  midst  of  all  this  bustle  and 
magnificence,  606  b.  c,  in  one  of  the  gorgeous 
apartments  of  the  royal  palace,  might  have 
been  seen,  on  his  princely  throne,  a  con- 
queror who  had  made  the  world  tremble, 
and  before  him,  a  young  man,  revealing  to 
him  the  history  of  four  monarchies,  the  des- 
tinies of  future  empires,  as  we  relate  the 
events  of  the  past.     These  empires  have 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       127 

risen  and  have  fallen,  as  all  the  powers  of 
this  earth  must,  in  like  manner,  fall ;  hut  this 
hook,  which  predicts  their  rise  and  their  fall 
— this  book,  which  we  hold  in  our  hands, 
while  we  ourselves  are  passing  away — this 
book  shall  never  pass  away. 

Now,  let  us  see  the  fate  of  the  fourth  em- 
pire. 

Read  verse  33,  and  verses  40,  43. 

This  is  what  we  have  now  to  explain. 
But  before  we  open  the  page  of  history  for 
this  purpose,  let  us  first  endeavour  to  ascer- 
tain from  the  words  of  the  prophet  them- 
selves, Avhat  were  to  be  the  characteristics  and 
the  destiny  of  the  fourth  monarchy. 

1.  It  was  to  be  "  of  iron,"  ver.  33  ;  it  was 
to  be  "strong  as  iron,"  ver.  40;  for,  "as 
iron  breaketh  in  pieces  and  subdueth  ail 
things,  so  was  it  to  break  in  pieces  and 
bruise."  This  fourth  empire,  therefore,  was 
to  be  that  of  a  people  more  warlike,  more 
cruel,  more  powerful,  and  more  oppressive 
than  any  of  the  preceding. 

2.  It  was  first  represented  by  two  legs,  be- 
cause it  was  not  at  first  to  be  monarchical, 
but  republican,  and  governed  by  two  heads 
of  equal  power. 

3.  The  toes  of  the  feet  are  expressly  men- 
tioned in  the  prophecy,  which,  according  to 
the  ordinary  language  of  emblems,  intimates 
that  the  fourth  kingdom,  in  the  latter  times 


128  NINTH   LESSON. 

of  its  dominion,  was  to  be  divided  into  ten 
kingdoms,  and  to  continue  so  still,  as  the 
Latin  empire,  mider  this  new  form ;  just  as 
we  have  seen  the  empire  of  brass  continued 
to  exist,  after  its  division,  in  the  tAVO  thighs 
of  brass.  And,  if  you  desire  an  infallible 
interpretation  of  this  emblem,  you  will  find 
it  in  chap,  vii.,  where  the  prophet  represents 
the  same  four  monarchies  under  the  simili- 
tude of  four  beasts ;  the  fourth  of  which  had 
ten  horns,  even  as  the  feet  of  the  image  had 
ten  toes ;  while  the  following  explanation  is 
given  by  one  of  those  present.    "  The  fourth 

beast  shall  be  the  fourth  kingdom And 

tlie  ten  horns  out  of  this  kingdom  are  ten 
kings  that  shall  arise,"  verses  23,  24. 

4.  "  The  legs  were  of  iron,  and  the  feet 
part  of  iron  and  part  of  clay ;"  and  again, 
*'  the  feet  and  the  toes  were  part  of  iron  and 
part  of  potter's  clay,''  because  the  kingdom 
was  to  be  "  divided,  and  partly  strong  and 
partly  weak,"  verses  33  and  41. 

These  last  particulars  intimate  that  a 
change  was  to  be  wrought  in  the  internal 
constitution  of  the  kingdom;  by  which  I 
mean,  that  it  was  not  to  be  an  external  divi- 
sion, like  that  which  the  ten  toes  symbolize, 
but  an  intestine,  essential  division  into  two 
governments,  two  peoples,  two  languages, 
or  two  powers ;  a  division  which  was  to  be 
common  to  the  ten  kingdoms,  in  which  both 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       129 

the  feet  of  the  image  and  each  of  the  ten 
toes  should  aUke  partake. 

5.  According  to  our  rule  of  chronology, 
which  determines  the  succession  of  times  by 
the  respective  height  of  the  emblems  in  the 
image,  this  internal,  essential  change,  in  the 
constitution  or  government  of  the  fourth 
kingdom,  was  to  take  place  towards  the  end 
of  its  dominion.  But,  at  the  same  time,  it 
was  to  be  wrought  before  the  division  of 
the  empire,  since  it  commenced  above  the 
toes. 

6.  And  lastly,  the  iron  and  potter's  clay, 
though  existing  together  in  the  feet  of  the 
image,  could  not,  however,  blend  with  one 
another ;  and  this  emblem,  as  it  is  explained, 
ver.  43,  intimated  that  the  two  parts  of  this 
division,  introduced  into  the  fourth  empire, 
should  unite,  ivithout  ever  being  confounded. 
"  They  shall  mingle  themselves  with,  or,  by 
the  seed  of  men;''  that  is,  they  shall  be 
taken  from  among  the  same  races  and  the 
same  families,  without  ever  being  able  to 
form  a  real  coalition. 

I  shall  now,  my  dear  children,  open  the 
book  of  history,  and  those  among  3^ou  Avho 
have  any  acquaintance  Avith  Roman  history, 
cannot  fail  to  be  filled  with  admiration  at  the 
accuracy  of  this  portrait.  Never,  even  since 
the  accomplishm.ent  of  the  events,  has  one 
been  drawn  in  so  few  words,  equally  ac- 
curate and  perspicuous,    and  consequently 


130  NINTH    LESSON. 

equally  calculated  to  give  an  epitome  of  the 
whole  history.  You  shall  soon  have  reason 
to  acknowledge  this. 

The  fourth  empire  was  of  iron — "  of  iron !'' 
And  how  is  it  possible  more  accurately  to 
describe  the  character  of  the  Romans? — 
everything  in  them  was  of  iron ;  their  gov- 
ernment was  of  iron,  hard,  inflexible,  pitiless. 
Their  courage  was  of  iron,  cruel,  sanguinary, 
indomitable. — Their  soldiers  were  of  iron; 
never  were  a  people  armed  in  a  more  formi- 
dable manner  for  war  ;  their  cuirasses,  their 
helmets,  their  long  bucklers,  their  javelins, 
their  spears,  their  short,  heavy  two-edged 
swords,  all  their  arms,  were  ingeniously  ter- 
rible. Their  discipline  was  of  iron.  The 
Jewish  general,  Josephus,  who  saw  their 
whole  army  file  off",  when  about  to  march 
against  Jerusalem,  gives  us  a  description  of 
it.  "  These  laws,"  he  says,  "  decree  the 
penalty  of  death,  not  only  for  desertion,  but 
for  the  smallest  acts  of  negligence  ;  and  how- 
ever severe  are  these  laws,  the  oflicers  who 
enjoin  the  observance  of  them  are  still  more 
so."  Their  yoke  was  of  iron,  heavy,  insup- 
portable, and  yet  irresistible.  In  their  con- 
quests they  spared  nothing,  they  reduced  all 
the  vanquished  countries  to  provinces  ;  they 
left  them  nothing  of  their  nationality ;  they 
deprived  them,  in  a  short  time,  even  of  their 
language  ;  it  soon  became  necessary  to  speak 
the  Latin  language,  not  only  in  all  Italy,  but 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  131 

in  Germany,  south  of  the  Danube,  in  all 
France,  in  Babylon,  Switzerland,  at  Geneva, 
in  Spain,  Portugal,  and  even  in  Africa.  Their 
hearts  were  of  iron.  They  knew  no  pity ; 
they  shed  human  blood  like  water.  They 
had  need  of  these  cannibal  pleasures  in  peace 
as  well  as  in  war.  They  never  cut  off  a 
man's  head  until  they  had  first  torn  his  flesh 
to  the  bone  with  flexible  sticks,  which  they 
called  rods.  Whenever  they  had  conquered 
a  king,  he  was  bound  to  the  chariot  of  their 
general  on  the  day  of  his  triumphant  entry 
into  Rome,  and  during  the  banquet  which  he 
gave  to  his  army,  the  unhappy  captive  was 
whipped  in  the  public  square,  his  head  was 
then  cut  ofl"  amid  acclamations  of  glory,  and 
dragged  by  a  hook  through  the  streets  to  the 
river  Tiber.  When  Julius  Caesar,  who  con- 
quered all  France,  and  reduced  it  to  a  Roman 
province,  had  taken  its  last  remaining  city, 
he  caused  both  the  hands  of  all  the  men 
whom  he  found  in  it  to  be  cut  off;  and  he 
even  boasts  of  this  himself  in  his  Commenta- 
ries. Even  in  their  amusements  they  could 
not  do  without  human  blood.  In  all  their 
cities  they  had  theatres  for  their  entertain- 
ment, in  which  they  obliged  their  unhappy 
prisoners  of  war  to  fight,  either  with  wild 
beasts  or  with  one  another,  mitil  they  were 
killed,  and  at  these  shows  the  Roman  ladies 
as  well  as  the  men  were  present.  When  one 
of  the  combatants  received  a  wound,  the 


132  NINTH    LESSON. 

people  all  cried  out  he  has  it,  he  has  it! 
Whereupon  he  was  obliged  to  lower  his 
buckler,  to  kneel  on  one  knee  upon  the 
ground,  and  to  stretch  forth  his  neck  with 
theatrical  grace,  that  his  head  might  be  cut 
off;  upon  this,  the  people,  men  and  women, 
made  a  sign  by  holding  up  their  thumb  ;  and 
immediately  the  conqueror  approached  the 
conquered,  and  applying  his  sword  to  his 
neck,  above  the  shoulders,  phmged  it  in,  up 
to  the  hilt,  when,  if  the  unhappy  man  met  his 
death  in  a  graceful  and  heroic  manner,  a 
burst  of  applause  from  the  whole  assembly  ac- 
companied his  last  sigh.  When  Julius  Csesar, 
on  his  retiun  from  France,  entertained  the 
citizens  of  Rome  with  festivals,  there  were 
combats  of  this  kind,  we  are  told,  in  all  the 
streets  of  that  immense  city.  The  famous 
Titus,  who  took  Jerusalem,  and  was  called 
the  mildest  of  men,  and  "  the  delight  of  man- 
kind," caused  all  the  old,  the  sick,  and  the 
deformed  to  be  put  to  death,  and  in  his  tri- 
umphant march  to  Rome,  he  had  80,000 
young  Jews  in  his  retinue,  whom  he  caused 
to  be  beheaded,  or  gave  to  be  devoured  by 
wild  beasts,  for  the  amusement  of  the  peo- 
ple in  the  several  cities  through  which  he 
passed.  On  one  day,  for  example,  the  24th 
of  October,  he  had  500  men  put  to  death,  m 
honour  of  his  brother's  birth-day,  some  of 
whom  were  burned,  others  beheaded,  and 
others  devoured  by  wild  beasts. 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       133 

"  The  legs  were  of  iron.  And  the  fourth 
kingdom  shall  be  strong  as  iron :  forasmuch 
as  iron  breaketh  in  pieces,  and  subdueth  all 
things ;  and  as  iron  that  breaketh  all  these, 
shall  it  break  in  pieces,  and  bruise,"  ver.  40. 

Again,  in  the  seventh  chapter,  where  the 
prophet  speaks  of  the  fourth  monarchy  un- 
der the  figure  of  four  wild  beasts,  you  will 
find  him  representing  the  fourth  as  "  dread- 
ful, and  terrible,  and  strong  exceedingly  ;  and 
as  hav^ing  great  iron  teeth  :  and  it  devoured 
and  brake  in  pieces,  and  stamped  the  residue 
with  his  feet.'' 

We  said,  in  the  second  place,  that  this 
fourth  kingdom  being  represented,  from  the 
commencement,  hy  the  two  legs  of  iron,  in- 
timated that  it  was  to  be  governed  by  two 
chiefs,  or  heads,  of  equal  power.  And  such 
was  the  case  with  the  Roman  empire  at  the 
time  when  it  became  a  part  of  the  image, 
that  is,  when,  by  the  destruction  of  the  Greek 
kingdom  of  Syria,  and  its  reduction  to  a  Ro- 
man province  under  Pompey,  it  obtained 
possession  of  Jerusalem.  It  was  not  then  a 
monarchy,  but  was  governed  by  two  heads 
equal  in  power,  called  consuls,  in  whose 
name  the  affairs  of  the  commonwealth  were 
administered,  and  who  served  to  designate 
the  years  of  the  empire  in  the  public  annals. 

We  said,  in  the  third  place,  that  as  the  em« 
pire  was  afterwards  represented  by  the  ten 
toes    of   the  image,  this   intmiated  that   it 
12 


134  NINTH   LESSON. 

was  to  be  divided  into  ten  kingdoms ;  and 
lastly,  that  this  division  was  to  take  place  in 
the  latter  times  of  its  dominion. 

Aiid  this,  in  fact,  is  exactly  what  did  hap- 
pen 400  years  after  Christ.  Almost  at  the 
same  moment,  ten  Gothic  nations,  speaking 
the  same  language,  (a  kind  of  German,) 
warlike  and  cruel,  and  countless  as  the  sand, 
were  seen  pouring  from  the  remote  regions 
of  the  north,  towards  the  frontiers  of  the 
fourth  kingdom :  they  crossed  the'  Danube 
and  the  Rhine,  seized  upon  the  Roman  em- 
pire, and  established  themselves  in  its  capita], 
A.  D.  476.  But  soon  they  too  adopted  the 
customs,  the  religion,  the  worship,  and  even 
the  very  language  of  the  Romans ;  so  that 
they  continued  the  fourth  empire  under  an- 
other form,  and  their  church  was  called  the 
Latin  church,  their  religion  the  Romish  reli- 
gion, their  empire  the  Latin  empire,  their  sa- 
cred language  the  Latin  language,  and  their 
history  for  ages,  the  history  of  the  church 
and  empire. 

Time  will  not  permit  me  to  dwell  on  these 
important  events  of  history :  I  shall  merely 
mention  the  names  of  these  two  nations,  and 
these  ten  kings,  as  we  shall  have  occasion  to 
speak  of  them  again  more  at  length,  when 
we  come  to  explain  the  seventh  chapter. 

1.  The  Visigoths,midei  king  A\3inc,  who 
settled  in  Spain. 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       135 

2.  The  Ostrogoths,  under  Theodoric,  who 
established  themselves  m  Italy. 

3.  The  Heruli,  under  kmg  Odoacer,  who 
took  Rome,  proclaimed  that  prmce  king  of 
Italy  and  of  the  Heruli. 

4.  The  Zrom^flrraf^, under  king  Alboin,  who 
took  possession  of  upper  Italy. 

5.  The  Francs,  under  king  Pharamund. 
These  spoke  German,  also  ;  they  took  Paris, 
and  a  great  part  of  the  surrounding  country. 

6.  The  Burgundians,  who  made  them- 
selves masters  of  part  of  France  and 
Switzerland.  Their  king,  Gondeband,  who 
likewise  spoke  German,  resided  in  Geneva. 

7.  The  Mans^  under  their  king,  Gonderic, 
who  established  themselves  in  France,  for 
example,  in  the  city  of  Alencon,  so  called 
from  them,  and  in  Spain,  from  whence  the 
name  of  Catalonia,  Goth-Alans. 

8.  The  Suevi,  under  king  Hermanric,  who 
settled  south  of  the  Danube,  in  the  country 
called  after  them  Suabia. 

•  9.  The  GepiddB,  under  king  Cunemond, 
who  settled  in  Belgium  and  Pannonia. 

10.  The  ^^ff7z^«/^,  who,  under  the  terrible 
Genseric,  established  themselves,  first  in 
Spain,  to  part  of  which  they  gave  the  name 
of  Andalusia  or  Vandalusia ;  and  then  in 
Africa,  where  they  founded  the  new  kingdom 
of  Carthage. 

Some    persons    have    wished  to  include 


136  NINTH  LESSON. 

among  them  the  Anglo-Saxons,  who  estab- 
Ushed  themselves  m  England,  and  the  Hmis, 
who  ravaged  the  world  under  the  celebrated 
Alaric ;  but  this  is  erroneous :  with  regard 
to  the  former,  because  England  did  not  form 
a  part  of  the  prophetical  earth;  and  with 
regard  to  the  latter,  because,  though  they 
devastated  the  Roman  empire,  they  did  not 
settle  in  it,  and  they  were  neither  of  the  same 
language,  nor  of  the  same  race  as  the  other 
kingdoms. 

But  time  admonishes  me,  and  I  must  defer 
until  another  occasion  the  consideration  of 
the  mixture  of  the  potter's  clay  with  the  iron, 
and  of  the  final  destiny  of  the  fourth  empire. 

One  observation  more  only  would  1  make 
in  conclusion.  In  tracing  out  the  fourth 
kingdom  on  the  Atlas  of  Lesage,  I  have  been 
struck  with  admiration  at  its  uniformity  with 
the  account  of  Daniel.  Lesage,  or  Las 
Casas,  you  are  aware,  was  the  friend  of  the 
Emperor  Napoleon,  and  while  he  was  with 
his  master  in  St.  Helena,  he  drew  up  a  serijps 
of  synoptical  charts,  in  which  he  distinguishes 
both  the  empires  and  their  sub-divisions  by 
different  colours,  with  a  view  to  bringing 
within  the  comprehension  of  the  young," the 
most  important  events  of  history. 

This  learned  scholar,  who,  I  beUeve,  is  still 
alive,  when  he  composed  his  book,  by  the 
side  of  his  friend  Napoleon,  was  far  from 
thinking  of   Daniel,  who,  however,  could 


THE    PROPHET   DANIEL.  137 

have  dictated  it  to  him  2443  years  before,  by 
the  side  of  his  friend,  the  Emperor  Nebu- 
chadnezzar. What  would  have  been  his 
astonishment,  could  he  have  seen  the  striking 
resemblance  between  his  laboiu-s  and  those 
of  the  prophet !  Like  Daniel,  he  divides  the 
history  of  the  world  into  four  parts,  and  he 
employs  four  colours  to  designate  the  empires 
of  the  Babylonians,  of  the  Persians,  the 
Greeks,  and  the  Romans.  The  Macedonian 
empire  he  divides  into  four  kingdoms ;  no- 
ticing, at  the  same  time,  two  as  much  more 
powerful  than  the  others,  namely,  the  Syrian 
and  the  Egyptian  ;  and  lastly,  when  he  treats 
of  the  Romans,  he  divides  them  as  we  have 
done,  in  reference  to  the  invasion  of  the  Bar- 
barians; except  that  he  has  fallen  into  the 
error  of  including  among  them  the  Huns 
and  the  Anglo-Saxons.  Thus,  the  friend  of 
Napoleon,  and  the  friend  of  Nebuchadnez- 
zar, have  given  the  history  of  the  world  in 
the  same  way,  the  one  before,  the  other  after 
the  events,  the  one  600  b.  c,  the  other  1800 
after  Christ ;  that  is,  the  former  nearly  2443 
years  before  the  latter.  This  difference,  how- 
ever, is  still  between  them,  that  the  history 
of  Daniel  reaches  much  further  than  that  of 
Las  Casas,  and  that  he  speaks  of  a  fifth  mon- 
archy, of  which  the  latter  takes  no  notice. 

12* 


TENTH    LESSON. 
Daniel  xi.  41 — 44. 

Lord  !  teach  us  to  know  the  vahie  of  those 
prophecies  of  thy  word,  those  histories  of  the 
world,  written  twenty  centuries  before  the 
events,  those  permanent  miracles  which  in- 
crease in  brightness  with  the  lapse  of  time, 
and  attest  with  so  much  force  the  truth  of 
thy  scriptures,  the  sovereignty  of  thy  decrees, 
the  faithfulness  of  thy  promises,  the  security, 
the  future  glory  of  thy  redeemed  people ; 
those  miracles,  which  remind  us  every  day 
that  as  surely  as  we  have  seen  the  Nebuchad- 
nezzars,  the  Cyruses,  the  Alexanders,  the 
Pompeys,  and  the  Caesars,  appearing  on  the 
stage,  in  their  appointed  times,  so  surely 
shall  we  see  the  happy  and  glorious  kingdom 
of  thy  Christ,  that  stone  which  is  to  break  in 
pieces  the  iron,  the  brass,  the  silver,  and  the 
gold,  that  mountain  which  is  to  fill  the  Avhole 
eardi,  embracing  all  nations  ! 

Yet,  0  my  God,  even  this  is  not  enough  ! 
It  is  not  sufficient  for  us  to  have  seen  mira- 
cles without  us ;  there  is  also  a  miracle  which 
must  be  wrought  in  our  own  souls.  Thou 
hast  said,  "  They  have  INIoses  and  the  pro- 
phets, let  them  hear  them ;  for  if  they  hear 
13S 


THE    PROPHET   DANIEL.  139 

not  them,  neither  will  they  be  persuaded 
though  one  rose  from  the  dead."  Open,  then, 
Lord,  our  eyes;  bless  to  us,  by  thy  Spirit, 
the  words  of  Moses  and  the  prophets ;  let  all 
our  hearts  feel  their  happy  influence,  that  we 
may  turn  away  from  our  idols  to  serve  thee, 
the  true  and  living  God,  and  to  wait  for  thy 
Son  from  heaven,  even  Jesus,  who  delivereth 
us  from  the  wrath  to  come. 

On  Sunday  last  we  were  occupied  in  con- 
sidering the  fomth  empire,  and  we  confined 
ourselves  to  the  words  of  Daniel,  endeavour- 
ing to  ascertain  from  them  what  were  to  be 
its  characteristics  and  its  destinies.  We  saw 
that  it  was  to  be  like  "  iron,"  that  it  was  at 
first  to  be  governed  by  two  magistrates,  and 
subsequently  divided  into  ten  kingdoms. 
We  enumerated  these  ten  kingdoms,  and 
we  might  here  point  out  to  you  on  the  map, 
the  place  which  each  of  them  occupied  in 
the  European  Roman  empire.  But  we  shall 
not  enter,  for  the  present,  into  these  details ; 
1st,  because  we  have  not  yet  fixed  the  ge- 
ography of  this  prophecy;  and,  2dly,  be- 
cause we  shall  have  occasion  hereafter  to 
revert  to  the  subject  more  at  large,  when  we 
come  to  explain  the  seventh  chapter  of  Dan- 
iel. 

There  now  remain  for  us  three  things  to 
do,  in  order  to  complete  the  interpretation  of 
this  supernatural  vision. 

1.  We  must  ascertain  by  what  principles 


140  TENTH   LESSON. 

we  can  determine  the  geography  of  these 
four  empires,  as  we  have  already  done  their 
chronology ;  and  we  must  endeavour  to  bring 
these  two  elements  into  an  exact  and  satis- 
factory agreement. 

2.  We  must  explain  what  is  meant  by  the 
potter's  clay,  which  is  mixed  with  the  iron 
in  the  legs  of  the  image,  or  rather  from  the 
ankles  downwards. 

3.  If  time  permit  us,  we  must  endeavour 
to  discover  what  the  Spirit  of  God  intended 
to  teach  us  concerning  the  fifth  and  last 
monarchy^  which  is  yet  to  arise  in  the  world, 
to  break  in  pieces  all  the  others,  and  to  last 
for  ever.     See  verses  44,  45. 

Let  us  begin  the  geography  of  Daniel's 
four  monarchies. 

If  I  were  to  show  you  a  map  of  the  pro- 
phetic earth,  and  to  ask  you  to  point  out  to 
me  Babylon  and  the  river  Euphrates,  or  Susa, 
the  capital  of  Persia,  and  the  river  Ulai ;  or 
Greece,  (the  country  of  Javan,)  the  kingdom 
of  Sliittim,  and  that  little  territory  of  Mace- 
don,  which  Alexander  the  Great  possessed 
before  his  gigantic  conquests;  or  Italy,  the 
city  of  Rome,  and  the  river  Tiber,  doubtless 
you  would  have  no  difficulty  in  doing  so. — 
But  if  I  were  to  demand  something  more 
particular,  probably  you  would  feel  not  a 
little  at  a  loss. 

For  example,  what  answer  would  you 
give  me,  if  I  were  to  ask  you  to  which  of 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  141 

the  four  kingdoms  Egypt  belonged  ?  or  if  I 
were  to  demand  in  what  part  of  the  world 
the  two  kings  who  were  to  divide  the  fourth 
empire  were  to  appear  ?  Why  it  was  not  in 
France,  in  Spain,  in  Africa,  rather  than  in 
Greece  or  Egypt?  You  would  probably  have 
some  difficulty  in  telling  me. 

Or,  if  I  were  to  ask  you  in  which  of  the 
four  empires  we  are  to  place  Geneva  ?  Whe- 
ther in  the  Roman;  and  wherefore  ?  Why  are 
we  not  to  reckon  Holland,  Lower  Germany,  or 
England  in  it?  You  would,  perhaps,  be 
equally  at  a  loss. 

First,  let  us  say  a  few  words  about  Ge- 
neva, since  we  are  at  Geneva. — This  will 
assist  you  in  understanding  the  rest. 

While  the  river  Euphrates  rolled  its  yellow 
waters  beneath  the  lofty  towers  of  Babylon, 
in  the  days  of  Daniel,  600  years  b.  c,  the 
beautiful  and  transparent  Rhone  flowed  be- 
neath the  walls  of  Geneva ;  its  waves  issued 
from  our  lake,  limpid  and  blue,  as  they  do  in 
our  own  day ;  the  image  of  the  stars  was 
reflected  upon  its  crystal  surface,  in  the  si- 
lence of  the  night;  Orion,  Sirius,  and  the 
Great  Bear,  were  pictured  there  in  turn,  as 
yesterday  evening;  but  then,  on  the  banks 
of  the  Euphrates,  Daniel  knew  the  Saviour, 
"his  death,  his  sufterings,  and  the  glory 
which  was  to  follow;"  his  confidence  was 
in  Him ;  while  those  who  dwelt  on  our  banks 
were  in  the  darkness  of  the  shadow  of  death, 


142  TENTH    LESSON. 

"  being  alienated  from  the  life  of  God,  through 
the  ignorance  that  was  in  thein,  because  of 
the  blindness  of  their  hearts."  They  wor- 
shipped trees  and  serpents,  and  the  thunders 
of  the  heavens ;  they  cast  their  children  into 
the  lake,  in  honour  of  their  false  gods ;  and 
in  times  of  great  calamity,  they  filled  a  gi- 
gantic image  of  osier  work,  as  high  as  one 
of  our  houses,  with  living  men,  and  set  it  on 
fire  to  appease  their  idols. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  our  fathers  550 
years  after  Daniel,  in  the  time  of  Julius  Cas- 
sar,  who  visited  Geneva  with  his  legions,  and 
has  given  us  the  account  himself. 

Geneva,  from  its  advantageous  situation, 
must  have  been  inhabited  from  the  earliest 
times.  The  first  intelligence,  however,  which 
we  have  of  it  in  history,  is  in  the  year  58, 
B.  c,  about  the  period  when  Pompey  over- 
threw the  Greek  kingdom  of  Syria,  took  Je- 
rusalem, and  destroyed  one  of  the  thighs  of 
brass,  substituting  in  its  place  one  of  the  legs 
of  iron  of  the  fourth  kingdom. 

Think  not,  dear  children,  that  what  I  here 
tell  you  of  Geneva  is  foreign  to  our  subject ; 
on  the  contrary,  you  will  see  that  these  de- 
tails will  essentially  assist  you  in  understand- 
ing our  explanations,  in  reference  to  the 
geography  and  cln*onology  of  the  legs  of 
iron. 

This  Pompey  the  Great,  who  took  Jerusa 
lem  and  destroyed  the  first  thigh  of  brass, 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       143 

was  one  of  the  most  skilful  and  illustrious 
generals  of  the  Romans ;  he  had  carried  on 
war  in  Italy,  Sicily,  France,  Spain,  Africa, 
and  even  to  the  then  known  extremities  of 
Asia;  everywhere  he  had  been  victorious; 
and  when  he  entered  Rome,  on  his  return 
from  Jerusalem,  324  kings,  queens,  princes, 
and  princesses  of  the  countries  which  he  had 
subdued,  magnificently  attired,  walked  in 
chains  before  his  triumphal  chariot ;  among 
whom  were  the  kings  of  Armenia  and  of 
Colchis,  five  sons  of  the  king  of  Pontus,  a 
queen  of  Scythia,  Aristobulus,  the  unfortu- 
nate kings  of  the  Jews,  and  his  son,  the 
young  prince  Antigonus. 

But  this  general,  Pompey,  had  for  his  col- 
league another  Roman  general,  whose  daugh- 
ter he  had  married,  and  with  whom  he  soon 
quarrelled.  His  father-in-law  was  the  famous 
Julius  Cdesar,  the  most  successful,  able,  and 
formidable  of  the  Roman  commanders.  Only 
five  years  before  the  taking  of  Jerusalem  by 
Pompey,  58  b.  c,  he  came  to  Geneva  to  op- 
pose the  Swiss  or  Helvetians,  who  dwelt  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Rhone  ;  and  to  the  num- 
ber of  200,000  were  desirous  to  cross  it,  for 
the  purpose  of  establishing  themselves  in 
France.  On  his  arrival,  he  set  his  whole 
army  and  all  the  neighbouring  country  to 
work,  and  erected,  along  the  left  bank  of  the 
Rhone,  a  strong  wall  eighteen  miles  long  and 
sixteen  feet  high,  flanked  with  lofty  towers, 


144  TENTH   LESSON. 

at  proper  intervals,  and  accompanied  by  a 
deep  and  wide  trench.  The  Swiss,  unable 
to  cross  the  river,  entered  France  by  the 
Fort  de  PEcluse  ;  but  Csesar  followed  them, 
slew  100,000,  and  having  compelled  the  re^ 
mainder  to  lay  down  their  arms,  sent  them 
back  as  tributaries  into  their  own  country. 
After  this,  in  less  than  ten  years,  he  conquered 
all  France,  took  800  cities,  and  slew,  it  is  said, 
1,000,000  men;  and  shortly  after,  quarrelling 
with  his  son-in-law,  Pompey,  he  overcame 
him,  and  continued  to  pursue  him  until  his 
head  was  cut  off.  It  was  wrapped  up  in  a 
napkin,  and  brought  to  Caesar,  and  when  he 
saw  it,  it  is  said  he  wept.  But  five  years 
after,  having  engaged  in  war  with  Pompey's 
younger  son,  he  caused  his  head  also  to  be 
cut  off,  and  set  it  up  in  a  certain  city,  on  the 
top  of  a  lofty  pole.  The  year  following  he 
was  slain  himself,  and  his  nephew,  Caesar 
Augustus,  after  him  became  the  first  empe- 
ror of  the  Romans. 

Thus  we  are  to  date  the  destruction  of  the 
thighs  of  brass,  and  the  commencement  of  the 
legs  of  iron,  from  the  year  Q5  b.  c,  when 
Pompey  overthrew  the  kingdom  of  Syria. 
It  is  true,  there  is  a  slight  difference  of  opi- 
nion among  commentators  on  this  subject ; 
some  fixing  the  epoch  of  this  revolution  in 
the  image,  in  the  year  63  b.  c,  when  the 
same  Pompey  took  the  city  of  Jerusalem, 
which  had  refused  to  submit  to  his  authority ; 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  1.   ; 

while  others  date  it  33  years  later,  namely, 
in  the  year  30  b.  c,  when  Jiugustus  Cscsar 
destroyed  the  second  thigh  of  brass,  the 
Greek'  kingdom  of  Ptolemy  in  Egypt,  and 
fully  established  his  authority  in  Jerusalem. 

You  see  the  diiference  is  not  very  great^ 
and  you  observe  also,  that  to  determine  the 
date  of  the  entrance  of  each  of  the  four  mon- 
archies into  the  image,  we  do  not  take  the 
year  in  which  they  began  to  exist,  for  all 
four  had  been  founded  nearly  750  b.  c.  ;  but 
we  take  the  year  when  they  commenced  their 
rule  over  the  people  of  God,  and  overthrew 
the  power  of  the  empire  which  preceded 
them.  Therefore,  we  commence  the  Idngdom 
of  Babylon  in  the  year  605 ;  that  of  Persia 
in  538;  that  of  Greece  in  330;  that  of  the 
Romans  in  65. 

Hear,  now,  the  principles  by  which  we 
are  enabled  to  determine  with  equal  exact- 
ness, the  geography  of  the  four  kingdoms. 

These  principles  are  four  in  number  ;  but 
on  account  of  your  age,  I  will  confine  myself 
to  two.     These  will  be  sufficient. 

First  principle.  The  special  territory  of 
each  of  these  monarchies,  is  that  which  it 
occupied  at  the  moment  when,  by  the  taking 
of  Jerusalem,  and  the  subjugation  of  the 
people  of  God,  it  became  a  part  of  the  image. 
Hence,  you  see,  its  chronological  date  deter- 
mines its  geography.     You  will  easily  mider- 


146  TENTH    LESSON. 

Stand  this  principle  when  you  have  seen  its 
appUcation  in  a  feAV  examples. 

Were  you  asked  what  was  the  territory  of 
the  first,  or  Chaldean  monarchy,  what  would 
he  your  answer  ?  Nebuchadnezzar  conquered 
Armenia,  Asia,  Persia,  and  subsequently  the 
wealthy  Egypt,  Africa,  and  even,  it  is  said, 
part  of  Spain ;  but  why  are  we  not  to  con- 
sider these  countries  as  forming  his  peculiar 
territory  ? 

Because  his  conquests,  as  we  learn  from 
the  Bible,  began  with  Jerusalem.  From  that 
moment  he  became  the  golden  head  of  the 
image ;  his  territory  was  determined ;  all  the 
rest  was  extra. 

Further :  why  does  neither  Egypt,  nor  Asia 
Minor,  form  a  part  of  the  peculiar  territory 
of  the  breast  of  silver,  or  state  of  the  Per- 
sians ? 

Because  the  people  of  God  had  already 
submitted  to  it,  when  it  made  the  conquest 
of  these  countries. 

Again ;  what  was  the  territory  of  the  Ma- 
cedonians ? 

It  included  all  Greece,  Asia  Minor,  Syria, 
and  Egypt.  Alexander  the  Great  had  al- 
ready conquered  all  these  countries,  when  he 
became  master  of  Jerusalem. 

Lastly — let  us  pass  to  the  fourth  monarchy. 
What  was  the  peculiar  territory  of  the  Ro- 
mans, when  they  became  members  of  the 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.        147 

image  ?  It  consisted  of  the  countries  wliich 
they  had  conquered  before  the  year  65,  or 
before  the  year  63,  or  the  year  30,  according 
as  we  date  its  commencement  from  one  or 
other  of  these  epochs. 

So  that  as  neither  England,  Holland,  nor 
lower  Germany,  as  yet  made  a  part  of  the 
Roman  state,  we  are  not  to  include  these 
countries  in  the  prophetic  earth.  This  latter 
must  be  circumscribed  within  the  same  boun- 
daries as  the  kingdom  of  Augustus  Csssar. 
Now,  we  read  in  history,  that  on  the  acces- 
sion of  this  prince  to  the  imperial  throne,  the 
limits  of  the  Roman  state  were,  on  the  north, 
the  Danube  ;  on  the  east,  the  Rhine  ;  on  the 
west,  the  Atlantic ;  and  on  the  south,  Moimt 
Atlas,  in  Africa.  Therefore,  it  is  obvious, 
we  must  not  look  for  the  ten  kingdoms, 
represented  by  the  ten  toes  of  the  image, 
beyond  the  limits  which  we  have  just  men- 
tioned. 

Such  is  our  first  principle  for  determmmg 
the  geography  or  peculiar  territory  of  the 
four  monarchies.  I  now  proceed  to  the  se- 
cond, which  you  will  find  equally  plain  and 
intelligible. 

As  each  of  the  four  metals  in  the  rniage 
indicates  the  dominion  of  a  new  race,  and 
of  a  new  language,  we  can  easily  ascertain 
the  peculiar  territory  of  each  of  the  monarch- 
ies, by  inquiring  what  was  the  language 


i48  TENTH    LESSON. 

which  prevailed  in  it  ?  Now,  the  Chaldean 
language  was  spoken  between  the  Euphrates 
and  Tigris,  and  towards  the  mouth  of  the 
former ;  the  Persian  to  the  west  of  the  Tigris ; 
Greek  in  all  Egypt,  Syria,  Asia  Minor,  and 
Macedonia,  as  far  as  the  Danube  and  the 
mountains  of  lUyria;  and  lastly,  Latin,  in 
Europe,  Africa  to  mount  Atlas ;  in  Europe, 
along  the  whole  left  bank  of  the  Rhine,  and 
all  the  right  bank  of  the  Danube,  even  to  the 
Mediterranean  sea  and  the  ocean. 

And  even  in  the  present  day,  not  only  are 
the  French,  Italian,  Portuguese,  and  Spanish 
languages  mere  corruptions  of  the  Latin,  but 
further,  all  Roman  Catholic  worship  in  Italy, 
France,  Spain,  and  Portugal,  is  performed  in 
Latin ;  and  when  the  Bishop  of  Rome,  the 
Pope,  as  he  is  called,  who  rules  over  all  those 
countries,  publishes  any  letter  or  decree,  it  is 
always  in  the  Latin  language. 

I  proposed  to  myself  three  objects  in 
beginning  this  lecture.  1.  To  bring  the  geo- 
graphy and  chronology  of  the  four  monarch- 
ies into  a  satisfactory  agreement,  and  to 
show  you  how  they  were  to  be  determined. 

2.  To  explain  what  was  meant  by  the 
mixture  of  the  iron  with  the  potter's  clay. 

3.  To  show  the  meaning  of  that  kingdom 
of  the  stone  which  is  to  break  in  pieces  the 
image,  and  finally  to  fill  the  earth. 

The  first  of  these  questions,  however,  has 


THE    PROPHET   DANIEL.  149 

occupied  the  whole  of  our  time,  so  that  we 
have  not  been  able  even  to  touch  upon  the 
other  two.  They  are  too  important  to  be 
introduced  into  the  end  of  a  lecture,  Avlien 
probably  your  attention  is  already  exhausted. 
I  think  it  better,  therefore,  to  reserve  them, 
the  Lord  permitting,  until  next  Simday. 

I  do  not  regret,  however,  that  we  have 
dwelt  so  long  upon  this  part  of  the  subject, 
as  I  trust  our  explanations  have  shown  you 
the  minute  details  into  which  the  Spirit  of 
God  has  entered  in  these  divine  predictions. 

May  you,  as  we  proceed  in  the  study  of 
this  wonderful  subject,  feel  your  gratitude, 
your  veneration  for  the  Bible,  your  confi- 
dence in  its  declarations  proportionably  in- 
crease.    May  you  often,  while  you  open  the 
holy  and  precious  book,  say  to  yourselves. 
Ah  !  I  hold  in  my  hands  the  book  of  God,  a 
wondrous    book — a   book    which    describes 
empires  before  they  come  into  existence — a 
book  in  which  the  Almighty  determines,  ages 
before  they  exist,  the  bounds  of  their  habita- 
tion, and  says  to  them,  as  formerly  to  the  sea, 
"Hitherto  shalt  thou  come, but  no  further;  and 
here  let  thy  proud  waves  be  stayed  ;'^  a  book 
which  opens,  and  no  man  shuts,  which  shuts, 
and  no  man  opens,  which  bindeth  and  looseth, 
and  hath  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven ! 
0  precious  book  of  God,  may  I  honour  thee, 
may  I  study  thee,  may  I  cherish  thee  more 

13* 


150  TENTH   LESSON. 

and  more  every  day !  Hear  the  words  of  St. 
Paul,  Heb.  xii.  25  :  "  See  that  ye  refuse  not 
hun  that  speaketh.  For  if  they  escaped  not 
who  refused  him  that  spoke  on  earth,  much 
more  shall  not  we  escape,  if  we  turn  away 
from  him  that  speaketh  from  heaven." 


ELEVENTH    LESSON. 
Daniel  ii.  41 — 49. 

I  TRUST  we  shall  be  enabled,  this  day,  to 
conclude  our  explanation  of  that  prophetic 
image,  on  which  were  inscribed,  2443  years 
ago,  the  annals  of  nations  which  no  longer 
exist — the  destinies  of  empires  yet  to  come, 
and  the  triumphs  of  that  kingdom  of  Jesus, 
which  shall,  one  day,  cover  the  earth,  and  fill 
the  church  of  God  with  a  perfect  holiness 
and  an  eternal  joy.  May  we,  in  bringing 
our  subject  to  its  close,  experience  something 
of  that  holy  awe  and  fervent  adoration  which 
the  heathen  king  of  Babylon  felt,  when  cast- 
ing himself  at  the  feet  of  the  prophet,  he 
exclaimed :  "  Of  a  truth,  it  is,  that  your  God 
is  God  of  gods,  and  a  Lord  of  kings,"  May 
we  learn  to  adore  him  with  humble  and 
grateful  hearts,  since  to  us  it  is  given  to  see 
v/ith  our  eyes,  in  history,  what  Nebuchad- 
nezzar saw  only  by  faith,  in  the  interpreta- 
tions of  the  prophet,  and  to  look  forward  to 
that  kingdom  of  God  which  shall  never  end. 

We  were  at  the  fourth  monarchy,  and  we 
have  explained  the  40th  verse,  in  which  it  is 
said  that  there  should  arise,  "  a  fourth  king- 

151 


152  ELEVENTH    LESSON. 

dom,  strong  as  iron,  forasmuch  as  iron  break- 
eth  in  pieces,  and  subdueth  all  things." 

Two  things  now  remain  to  be  done  ;  First, 
to  state  what  is  the  potter^ s  clay  which  is 
mixed  with  the  iron  in  the  lower  part  of  the 
image. 

2.  To  explain  the  Jifth  and  last  mon- 
archy, represented  by  the  stone  cut  out  of  the 
mountain. 

What  is  the  mountain  out  of  which  the 
stone  is  cut  ? 

What  is  the  stone  which  is  cut  out  of  that 
mountain,  without  hands  ? 

Wliat  is  signified  by  the  smiting  and 
breaking  in  pieces  of  the  feet  of  the  image 
composed  of  iron  and  clay  ? 

What  is  meant  by  the  simultaneous  de- 
struction of  the  iron  and  clay,  the  brass,  the 
silver,  and  the  gold,  and  of  their  becoming 
"like  the  chaff  of  the  summer  threshing- 
floor,  which  the  Avind  carries  away,  and  there 
is  no  place  found  for  them  ?" 

And,  lastly,  what  is  meant  by  the  growth 
of  this  stone,  until  it  becomes  a  great  moun- 
tain and  fills  the  ivhole  earth?  ver.  35. — 
Read  chap.  ii.  verses  33,  41,  43. 

Let  us  carefully  explain  these  verses. 

We  have  seen  that  the  Roman  empire  be- 
came incorporated  in  the  image,  Qo  years  b. 
c,  when  one  of  the  thighs  of  brass,  the  Greek 
kingdom  of  Syria,  together  with  Jerusalem, 
was  subdued  by  Pompey ;  or  35  years  later, 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  153 

when  the  second  of  the  thighs  of  brass,  the 
Greek  kingdom  of  Egypt,  was  rednced  to  a 
Roman  province,  by  the  Emperor  Augnstus. 
The  legs  of  iron  then  began,  and  the  fonrth 
kingdom,  which  was  to  exceed  all  the  others, 
in  rigour,  power,  extent,  and  duration,  was 
established,  and  the  western  limits  of  the 
prophetic  earth  were  fixed ;  viz. — the  Alps, 
the  Danube,  the  Rhine,  the  North  Sea,  the 
Atlantic,  and  Mount  Atlas. 

Augustus  Caesar,  the  first  Emperor  of  the 
Romans,  Avas  regarded  as  the  master  of  the 
world,  and  a  god  on  earth.  His  dominions 
extended  upwards  of  4000  miles  in  length, 
and  more  than  2000  in  breadth.  His  revenue 
amounted  to  £4,000,000  a  year.  His  formi- 
dable legions,  each  of  which  was  equal  to  an 
army,  were  twenty-five  in  number.  He  was 
worshipped  as  a  divinity;  temples  were 
erected  to  him ;  and  priests  were  appointed 
in  diiferent  places,  to  pay  him  homage.  His 
government  was  peaceful,  and  was  adminis- 
tered with  wisdom  and  with  vigour ;  and  to 
celebrate  the  glorious  termination  of  his 
triumphs,  and  the  undisturbed  tranquillity 
which  succeeded  them,  the  temple  of  Janus, 
which  was  kept  open  in  time  of  war,  and 
shut  in  time  of  peace,  was  closed,  for  the 
third  time,  since  the  founding  of  the  city,  750 

B.  C. 

Now,  this  demi-god  had  reigned  twenty- 
six  years,  when  there  occurred,  in  a  remote 


154  ELEVENTH    LESSON. 

corner  of  the  empire,  an  event  which  attracted 
comparatively  little  attention  upon  earth,  but 
awakened  the  profomidest  sympathy  in  the 
heaven  of  heavens. 

In  an  obscure  province  of  his  states,  and 
in  one  of  the  most  inconsiderable  towns  of 
that  province,  there  appeared  a  carpenter  and 
his  young  wife,  who  had  lately  come  down 
from  the  mountains  ;  the  woman  was  great 
with  child,  and  they  were  both  very  poor. 
They  sought  an  asylum  in  the  inn,  the  only 
one  which  the  village  afforded  to  the  weary 
traveller ;  but  being  informed  that  there  was 
not  room,  they  were  obliged  to  take  up  their 
lodging  in  the  stable.  Here  the  young  wo- 
man soon  brought  forth  her  first-born  son,  and 
having  wrapped  him  in  swaddling-clothes, 
she  laid  him  in  the  manger  for  a  cradle.  The 
Emperor  Augustus  had  ordered  that  the 
whole  of  his  vast  empire  should  be  taxed ; 
and  it  was  for  the  purpose  of  being  enrolled 
in  the  public  registry,  that  this  poor  couple 
came  to  the  town  of  Bethlehem. 

And  who,  at  that  time,  cared  for  that  child? 
Who  thought  of  his  birth  ?  He  had  no  form 
nor  comeliness ;  he  was  despised  and  rejected 
of  men;  and  they  saw  no  beauty  in  him, 
that  they  should  desire  him ;  he  was  despised 
and  they  esteemed  him  not. 

The  sun  rose  that  morning  as  it  had  ever 
done  before  ;  rivers  continued  their  courses 
on  earth,  and  the  stars  in  heaven ;  the  aged 


THE    PROPHET   DANIEL.  155 

Emperor  Augustus  abode  tranquilly  in  his 
palace  ;  little  children,  in  the  cities  of  his  em- 
pire, thought  only  of  their  toys,  men  and 
women  of  their  business  or  amusements; 
and  yet  there  was,  at  that  moment,  a  thrilling 
sensation  among  the  thrones,  principalities, 
and  powers  of  the  heavenly  world ;  for  the 
mystery  of  godliness,  into  which  angels  de- 
sire to  look,  was  accomplishing;  God  was 
manifested  in  the  flesh;  and  the  multitude 
of  the  heavenly  host,  in  celestial  concert, 
sung,  "  Glory,  glory  to  God  on  high  !"  The 
King  of  Glory  had  just  been  born — the  Lamb 
of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  sins  of  the 
world,  the  Lord  of  lords,  the  Creator  of  hea- 
ven and  earth,  who  upholdeth  all  things  by 
the  word  of  his  power — the  word  which  was 
in  the  beginning  with  God,  and  was  God, 
our  Saviour,  our  only  and  Almighty  Saviour. 

This  event,  being  altogether  reUgious,  is 
not  represented  in  the  image.  It  took  place 
when  the  legs  had  already  become  iron ;  and 
you  remember,  I  observed,  that  as  the  pro- 
phecies of  the  Bible  refer,  some  to  the  his- 
tory of  empires  and  politics,  others  to  the 
history  of  the  church  and  religion ;  the  vision 
of  the  image,  being  sent  to  a  heathen  empe- 
ror, could  reveal  to  us  only  the  history  of 
empires,  and  not  the  events  of  religion,  ex- 
cept so  far  as  they  have  an  immediate  and 
sensible  influence  on  those  of  politics. 

This  Jesus,  however,  who  was  born  in  the 


156  ELEVENTH    LESSON. 

reign  of  Augustus,  was  put  to  death  in  that 
of  liis  successor,  Tiberius,  at  the  time  when 
Pontius  Pilate  governed  Judea,  in  the  room 
of  the  emperor.  Tlie  third  day  he  rose  from 
the  dead ;  he  ascended  into  heaven,  and  from 
thence  sent  down  his  Holy  Spirit  upon  his 
apostles;  the  elect  were  converted  to  the 
Lord ;  the  Christian  church  began  amid  per- 
secution, affliction,  and  reproach  ;  it  was 
persecuted  for  300  years;  the  blood  of  the 
faithful  flowed  like  water;  they  were  cov- 
ered with  melted  pitch  and  tied  to  stakes, 
and  there  burned  as  torches  in  the  public 
places,  or  were  tlu'own,  for  the  amusement 
of  the  people,  into  the  amphitheatre,  to  be 
devoured  by  lions  and  dogs.  These  perse- 
cutions, repeated  on  several  occasions,  lasted 
for  nearly  three  centuries,  and  yet  the  Chris- 
tians, who  notwithstanding  filled  the  towns, 
the  country,  and  the  Roman  armies,  never 
once  rebelled  against  any  of  their  emperors, 
or  even  "mixed  with  the  revolutionists," 
who  abounded  in  those  days. 

At  length,  A.  D.  312,  one  of  the  Roman 
emperors,  perceiving  that  the  Christians  only 
increased  throughout  his  empire,  in  propor- 
tion as  they  were  persecuted  with  violence, 
openly  proclaimed  himself  a  Christian  at  the 
head  of  his  armies. 

This  prince,  who  was  called  Constantine, 
was  a  great  Avarrior.  He  does  not  seem  to 
have  been  really  anointed ;  I  mean  to  say, 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL-       157 

that  his  life  does  not  bespeak  a  man  walking 
in  the  faith,  in  Christian  love  and  holiness ; 
but  he  was  convinced  of  the  truth  of  Chris- 
tianity; he  admired  the  character  of  Jesus 
Christ ;  he  believed  in  his  miracles,  respected 
his  martyrs,  professed  his  doctrines,  and  even 
had  a  cross  inscribed  upon  his  banner  with 
these  remarkable  words  :  "  In  this  conquer." 
And,  indeed,  in  a  short  time  he  had  quite 
vanquished  all  his  enemies. 

But  at  this  time  a  great  change  was  intro- 
duced into  the  government  and  internal  con- 
stitution of  the  empire.  Constantine  exempted 
the  ministers  of  the  Christian  religion  from 
the  payment  of  taxes ;  he  loaded  them  with 
riches  and  honours,  and  gave  them  palaces 
in  the  principal  cities  of  his  states ;  he  estab- 
lished among  them  an  ecclesiastical  govern- 
ment, recognized  in  the  empire  and  sanc- 
tioned by  the  laws,  with  its  superior  and 
inferior  heads ;  and  after  Constantine,  almost 
all  the  emperors  continued  or  added  to  his 
work.  The  clergy,  that  is,  the  body  of  the 
ministers  of  religion,  became  a  power  which 
soon  equalled  that  of  the  prince.  The  pas- 
tors of  the  cities  governed  those  of  the  coun- 
try, and  the  priests  of  the  larger  towns 
aspired  to  rule  over  those  of  the  smaller 
ones.  After  some  time,  they  even  aimed  at 
being  independent  of  the  princes  who  had 
recognized  them ;  and  subsequently  pushing 
these  haughty  pretensions  still  further,  they 
14 


158  ELEVENTH    LESSON. 

set  themselves  above  kings,  and  claimed  the 
right  of  creating  or  deposing  them  at  plea- 
sure. The  bishop  of  Rome  proclaimed  him- 
self bishop  of  bishops,  took  the  name  of 
Pontifex  maximus,  a  title  completely  pagan, 
and  which  the  Roman  emperors  had  hitherto 
borne  for  the  celebration  of  idolatrous  rites ; 
he  assumed  the  appellation  of  Holy  Father, 
a  name  which  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  gives  to 
the  Almighty  in  his  intercessory  prayer; 
John  xvii.  11 ;  he  had  himself  called  his  ho- 
liness the  vicegerent  of  Jesus  Christ  and  of 
God  on  earth ;  he  wore  on  his  head,  alter- 
nately, a  sacerdotal  mitre  and  a  royal  tiara, 
and  on  the  tiara  the  triple  crown ;  he  gave 
his  foot  to  be  kissed  by  bishops  and  kings, 
and  caused  two  swords  to  be  carried  before 
him,  intimating  that  he  had  a  right  to  com- 
mand, both  in  the  church  and  in  the  state. 
"  The  spiritual  sword,"  said  one  of  them  in 
a  famous  bull,  "  ought  to  be  wielded  by  the 
hand  of  the  priest,  the  temporal  sword  by 
kings  and  soldiers,  but  by  command  and  or- 
der of  the  priests." 

Such,  my  dear  children,  is  the  event  re- 
presented by  the  mixture  of  iron  and  clay  in 
the  feet  of  the  image.  But  let  us  examine 
more  closely  the  words  of  Daniel,  in  verses 
41 — 43,  and  we  shall  discover  six  distinct 
characteristics  in  the  change  here  intimated. 
They  are  as  folloAVS  : — 

1.  The  empire  or  government  was  to  be 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  159 

divided,  ver.  41.  So  literally  has  this  oeen 
accomplished,  that  the  historians  of  the  Latin 
empire,  and  even  the  priests  themselves,  have 
frequently  called  the  church  "  Imperium  in 
hnperio^''  "an  empire  within  an  empire." 
Daniel  had  said,  "  the  kingdom  ^hall  be  di- 
vided." 

2.  This  division  was  not  to  be  external, 
like  that  of  the  toes,  but  internal,  like  the 
mixture  of  iron  and  clay  in  the  image ;  it 
was  to  exist  both  in  the  feet  and  in  the  toes ; 
it  was  to  take  place  in  the  very  essence  of 
the  constitution.  And  this  is  what  has  actu- 
ally occurred  in  all  the  states  of  the  western 
empire,  in  Italy,  Austria,  Bavaria,  France, 
Piedmont,  Belgium,  Spain,  and  Portugal. 

3.  This  change  was  to  take  place  before 
the  division  of  the  empire  into  ten  kingdoms, 
inasmuch  as  it  began  in  the  upper  part  of  the 
feet,  and  descended  to  the  toes.  This,  like- 
wise, was  accomplished.  The  arrival  of  the 
Gothic  nations  dates  about  the  year  400  ; 
Rome  itself  fell  into  their  hands  in  476, 
while  the  change  of  which  we  speak  began 
80  years  before,  a.  d.  312. 

"  And  as  the  toes  of  the  feet  were  part  of 
iron  and  part  of  clay,  so  the  kingdom  shall 
be  partly  strong  and  partly  broken,"  ver.  42. 

Here,  again,  the  prophecy  has  been  amply 
verified  by  the  event.  Did  time  permit,  we 
might  easily  bring  forward  a  thousand  ex- 
amples, from  the  history  of  twelve  centuries- 


160  ELEVENTH    LESSON. 

in  proof  of  this.  Yea,  we  might  derive  our 
illustrations  of  it  from  the  more  recent  empire 
of  Napoleon,  or  from  the  present  difficulties 
of  the  kings  of  Prussia,  Holland,  and  France. 

When  any  prince  falls  under  the  displea- 
sure of  the-  priests,  they  refuse  to  appoint 
new  ministers  of  religion ;  the  country  is 
put  under  an  interdict — the  religious  fears  of 
the  people  are  excited — ceremonies  are  in- 
terrupted— processions  and  funeral  rites  are 
suspended — the  church  bells  are  silenced — 
the  lights  extinguished — holy  water,  incense, 
holy  oil,  all  those  material  aids,  those  mis- 
chievous and  lying  remedies  which  the  peo- 
ple look  for  from  the  priest,  are  withheld ; 
thus  the  conscience  of  the  Catholic  is  roused 
against  that  of  the  citizen,  he  is  even  released 
from  his  oath,  and  incited  to  rebellion.  More 
than  once  have  we  seen  the  church  arming 
the  son  of  a  king  against  his  own  father  !  In 
such  cases  of  mutual  hostility,  what  is  the 
prince  who  is  dissatisfied  with  this  state  of 
things  to  do  ?  He  must  either  forcibly  inter- 
fere in  the  aifairs  of  the  church,  or,  while  he 
acknowledges  that  "  there  is  an  abuse ,^' 
quietly  succumb  to  the  clergy,  and  leave 
them  in  the  enjoyment  of  their  dangerous 
power. 

'^  And  as  the  toes  of  the  feet  were  part  of 
iron  and  part  of  clay,  so  the  kingdom  shall 
be  partly  strong,  and  partly  broken." 

WJien  the  emperor  Constantine,  who,  how- 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.        161 

ever,  appointed  and  revoked  bishops  at  plea- 
sure, assembled  councils,  and  presided  over 
them,  controlled  their  decrees,  and  published 
them  as  laws,  when  he  constituted  the  clergy 
as  a  separate  body  in  the  state,  and  endowed 
them  with  privileges  and  immunities,  little 
did  he  think  that  he  was  creating  an  empire 
within  an  empire,  a  kingdom  within  a  king- 
dom, mixing  clay  with  the  iron,  and  that  this 
new  kingdom  would  soon  have  its  capital, 
its  provinces,  its  provincial  governors,  its 
tributes,  and  its  tributaries. 

Yet,  such  has  been  the  origin  of  that  un- 
natural union  of  church  and  state,  govern- 
ment and  clergy,  religion  and  politics,  which 
for  1800  years  has  continued  to  corrupt  the 
chm'ch  and  weaken  the  state — has  operated 
as  an  intoxicating  potion  on  the  priests ;  and 
has  been  felt  by  the  princes  as  a  fatal  and 
perpetual  nightmare,  in  struggling  against 
which  they  have  exhausted  their  strength, 
their  energies,  and  their  wisdom;  for,  through 
more  than  twelve  centuries,  they  have  sought 
from  their  wisest  politicians  a  remedy  for  so 
formidable  an  evil,  and  they  have  not  found 
it.  As  we  see  children  return  continually  to 
a  crafty  old  man,  to  witness  the  repetition  of 
the  same  trick  by  which  they  are  imposed 
upon,  so  have  we  seen  them,  from  age  to 
age,  apply  to  the  clergy,  older  and  more  cun- 
ning than  all  their  wise  politicians,  to  receive 
'the  same  promises,  the  same  disappointments, 

14* 


162  ELEVENTH    LESSON. 

the  same  answers,  and  the  same  refusals. — 
"  The  kingdom  shall  be  partly  weak,  and 
partly  broken." 

5.  "And  whereas  thou  sawest  the  hon 
mixed  with  miry  clay,  they  shall  mingle 
themselves  with,  or  by,  the  seed  of  men,'^ 
ver.  43. 

This,  too,  has  been  exactly  accomplished. 
These  two  powers  of  the  Latin  empire  have 
been  drawn  from  the  same  families.  Of  the 
sons  of  the  same  father,  the  one  has  occupied 
the  imperial  or  regal,  the  other  the  papal 
throne  ;  the  one  has  been  in  the  army,  the 
other  in  a  convent ;  the  one  a  magistrate,  the 
other  a  priest ;  the  one  a  military  leader,  the 
other  an  archbishop.  In  no  other  instance 
has  such  a  state  of  things  been  found  to 
exist.  In  other  cases,  where  the  priesthood 
have  acquired  a  power  in  the  state,  and 
brought  it  under  their  dominion,  it  has  been  a 
married  clergy  that  has  effected  this ;  a  body 
of  priests  of  the  same  race,  recruiting  their 
ranks  from  among  themselves,  marrying  only 
among  their  own  caste,  and  bringing  up 
children,  from  the  cradle,  in  and  for  the  same 
profession.  But  in  the  states  of  the  Latin 
empire,  it  has  been  quite  otherwise ;  and  I 
shall  presently  quote  one  or  two  passages 
from  a  modern  historian,  which  will  illustrate 
what  I  have  to  say  on  the  subject. 

6.  "'  They  shall  mingle  themselves  by  the 
seed  of  men ;  but  they  shall  not  cleave  one 


THE    PROPHET   DANIEL.  163 

to  another,  even  as  iron  is  not  mixed  with 
clay,"  ver.  43,  latter  part. 

We  have,  here,  another  circumstance, 
which  has  been  wonderfully  realized  in  all 
the  countries  of  the  Roman  empire.  The 
church  and  state,  though  mingled  by  the 
seed  of  men,  have  never  been  able,  cordially, 
to  unite  with  one  another.  In  other  coun- 
tries, either  the  priests  governed  the  state,  or 
the  state  the  priests ;  but  in  the  Roman  em- 
pire, while  the  priests  received  a  constitu- 
tional power,  while  they  were  upheld  by  the 
temporal  sword  of  the  prince,  and  by  a  uni- 
versal law  in  all  Europe,  obtained  the  pos- 
session of  tithes,  the  distinctness  of  church 
and  state  has  everywhere,  and  at  all  times, 
been  maintained.  They  have  been  separate 
without  being  separate ;  associated  without 
being  associated  ;  united  without  being  unit- 
ed ;  dependent,  and  yet  independent. 

I  read  a  few  days  ago,  in  a  newspaper, 
calling  itself  Roman  Catholic,  the  two  follow- 
ing sentences,  which  it  proposed  as  the  motto 
of  its  party :  "  Catholicism,  the  religion  of 
the  state." — "Sacerdotal  independence." 

That  is,  said  I,  dependence  and  indepen- 
dence, iron  and  potter's  clay,  union  and  dis- 
union !  perpetual,  sickly  inconsistency,  Avhich 
must  ever  issue  in  the  oppression  of  the 
church  by  the  state,  or  of  the  state  by  the 
church !  fatal  and  incurable  contradiction, 
from  which  in  vain  will  you  hope  to  escape, 


164  ELEVENTH  LESSON. 

till  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  fill  the  earth, 
a^  the  waters  cover  the  sea. 

But  not  to  prolong  these  explanations,  and 
to  show  you,  by  the  testimony  of  an  unbiassed 
person,  that  these  particulars  of  the  prophecy 
have  been  as  divinely  fulfilled  as  the  others, 
I  will  quote  for  you  two  passages,  which 
lately  struck  me  very  much  in  reading  the 
works  of  a  distinguished  French  author,  I 
mean  M.  Guizot,  the  minister  of  the  king  of 
France,  a  man  ojf  considerable  erudition  and 
talent,  and  who  has  latterly  devoted  himself, 
with  great  success,  to  the  study  of  history. 

In  his  course  of  modern  history,  (tenth  les- 
son,) I  find  the  following  passage,  which 
seems  to  bear  strongly  on  the  words  of  the 
prophet :  "  They  shall  mingle  themselves  by 
the  seed  of  men." 

"  In  every  case  where  the  clergy  have  got 
society  into  their  power,  and  subjected  it  to  a 
theocratic  organization,  this  transformation 
has  been  effected  by  a  married  clergy,  a  body 
of  priests,  filling  up  their  ranks  from  among 
themselves,  educating  their  children  fi'om  the 
cradle  in  and  for  the  same  profession.  Con- 
sult history — look  at  Asia  or  Egypt,  and  you 
will  see  that  all  the  great  theocracies  were 
the  work  of  a  clergy,  who  formed  a  complete 
society  of  themselves,  were  all-sufficient  in 
themselves,  and  borrowed  nothing  from  with- 
out. 

"  By  the  celibacy  of  the  priests,  the  Chris- 


THE    PROPHET   DANIEL.  165 

tian  clergy  were  placed  in  a  totally  different 
predicament ;  they  were  obliged,  in  order  to 
perpetuate  themselves,  to  have  recourse  con- 
tinually to  a  lay  society,  and  to  seek  among 
all  ranks,  situations,  and  social  professions, 
the  means  of  their  own  perpetuity. 

"In  vain  did  an  esprit  du  corps  labour 
to  assimilate  these  heterogeneous  elements ; 
something  of  their  origin  always  remained 
in  the  new  recruits ;  gentlemen  and  citizens, 
they  retained  some  traces  of  their  ancient 
spirit,  and  of  their  previous  condition.  No 
doubt  celibacy,  by  creating  for  the  clergy  a 
position  altogether  singular,  and  foreign  fo  all 
the  common  interests  of  human  life,  was  a 
great  cause  of  their  isolated  position ;  but  it 
also  obliged  them  continually  to  re-connect 
themselves  with  lay  society,  for  the  purpose 
of  filling  up  their  ranks,  and  recruiting  their 

forces  therefrom I  do  not  hesitate  to  say, 

that  this  necessity  has  done  much  more  to 
hinder  the  theocratic  organization  aimed  at, 
than  the  esprit  du  corps,  supported  by  celi- 
bacy, has  done  to  promote  it." 

My  second  quotation,  which  bears  upon 
the  words,  "  they  shall  mingle  themselves  by 
the  seed  of  men ;  but  they  shall  not  cleave 
one  to  another,  even  as  iron  is  not  mixed  with 
clay ;"  is  taken  from  a  discourse  on  "  Liberty 
of  Worship,"  delivered  by  the  same  learned 
man  before  the  "  Society  of  Christian  Moral- 
ity:"--it  is  as  follows : 


166  ELEVENTH    LESSON. 

"  In  every  nation  of  antiquity  whose  his 
tory  I  consult,  I  find  but  one  or  other  of  these 
systems,  as  it  regards  the  connexion  of  reli- 
gion with  the  state  :  either  the  clergy  were, 
at  the  same  time,  invested  with  the  sove- 
reignty, and  exercised  a  temporal  power,  in 
virtue  of  their  spiritual  supremacy ;  or  the 
temporal  sovereign,  whether  a  man,  or  a  body 
of  men,  was  clothed  with  religious  offices  as 
with  civil  magistracies,  and  governed  alike 
the  priests  and  the  people.  Egypt  was  un- 
der the  dominion  of  the  priesthood ;  at  Rome 
the  patricians  Avere  also  pontiffs ;  in  the  for- 
mer, the  theocracy  prevailed ;  in  the  latter, 
religion  was  subordinate ;  but  in  all  cases, 
the  spiritual  and  temporal  powers  were  con- 
founded, and  placed  in  the  same  hands. 

"  The  destiny  of  modern  Europe  has  been 
different ;  where,  from  the  ruins  of  the  Roman 
empire,  the  existing  nations  began  to  arise, 
two  societies,  the  only  real,  the  only  living 
ones  were  found  in  presence  of  one  another ; 
on  the  one  hand,  the  conquering  barbarians, 
on  the  other,  the  Christian  clergy.  Different 
in  their  nature,  origin,  race,  and  language, 
these  two  societies  were  yet  constrained  to 
live  together,  for  they  both  had  in  themselves 
the  means  of  self-defence  and  self-subsistence. 
They  approximated ;  they  formed  alliances, 
but  they  never  became  confounded.  The 
barbarians  became  Christians ;  the  Christian 
clergy  took  their  place  in  the  aristocracy  of 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  167 

the  barbarians ;  but  the  two  castes,  the  two 
societies,  as  we  may  call  them,  continued  es- 
sentially distinct ;  they  had  each  their  offices, 
their  organization,  their  laws,  their  juris- 
dictions, their  militias,  their  sovereigns." 
"  Whereas  thou  sawest  the  iron  mixed  with 
miry  clay,  they  shall  mingle  themselves  with 
the  seed  of  men :  but  they  shall  not  cleave 
one  to  another,  even  as  iron  is  not  mixed 
with  clay.  The  kingdom  shall  be  divided. 
It  shall  be  partly  strong,  and  partly  broken.'^ 

But  time  advances ;  and  I  am  anxious  to 
conclude  this  second  chapter  to-day.  I  shall 
therefore  hasten  to  consider,  in  the  last  place, 
the  kingdom  of  the  stone  and  of  the  moun- 
tain. We  have  hitherto  been  speaking  of  the 
past,  it  now  remains  for  us  to  speak  of  the 
future.  That  past  has  included,  since  the 
days  of  Daniel,  2443  years.  When  this  fu- 
ture shall  commence  is  another  question. 
What  it  shall  be,  however,  prophecy  enables 
us  to  know  and  to  declare,  and  this  is  a  great 
deal. 

"  In  the  days  of  these  kings,  (represented 
in  the  image  by  the  toes,)  shall  the  God  of 
heaven  set  up  a  kingdom  which  shall  never 
be  destroyed  :  and  the  kingdom  shall  not  be 
left  to  other  people,  but  it  shall  break  in 
pieces,  and  consume  all  these  kingdoms,  and 
it  shall  stand  forever,"  ver.  40. 

Now  this  fifth  kingdom  is  spoken  of 
tluoughout  the  whole  scriptures. 


168  elevunth  lesson. 

In  chapter  vii.  Daniel,  after  describing  ex- 
actly the  four  great  monarchies,  under  the 
form  of  four  beasts,  speaks  of  it  again.  See 
17. 

This  fifth  kingdom  then  is  that  of  the  most 
High,  that  of  Jesus  Christ,  that  of  the 
people  of  God,  that  which  is  promised  to  the 
church  when  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord 
shall  fill  the  earth,  as  the  waters  cover  the 
sea.     Compare  Luke  i.  31 — 33. 

The  mountain  of  which  we  read,  ver.  45, 
is  the  church  of  God,  which  has  existed  in 
all  ages,  along  with  the  image,  and  before 
the  image  ;  but  it  is  only  then  that  it  shall 
obtain  dominion  among  men. 

And  the  stone  "  cut  out  of  the  mountain 
without  hands,"  is  some  feeble  and  insignifi- 
cant portion  of  the  Christian  church,  which 
shall  become  the  occasion  of  the  overthrow 
of  the  image,  and  of  the  enemy  of  the  Re- 
deemer's kingdom.  And  how  shall  this  be 
effected  ? 

1.  It  shall  hQ^mwithout hands, X\i?it  is, with- 
out the  will  of  men  being  directly  employed 
in  it,  or  having  any  ground  for  glorying 
therein.  All  shall  be  obliged  to  acknowledge 
in  it  the  finger  of  God,  and  the  power  of  his 
grace  alone. 

2.  It  shall  begin  in  the  toes  of  the  image, 
that  is,  in  one  of  the  principal  kingdoms  of 
the  western  empire ;  either  in  Italy,  or  in 
Austria,  or  in  Spain,  or  perhaps  in  Algiers ; 


THE    PROPHET  DANIEL.  169 

but  not  in  England,  nor  in  Holland,  nor  in 
Prussia,  neither  in  Russia,  nor  among  the 
Turks. 

3.  It  shall  begin  after  this  manner :  "  The 
stone  shall  smite  the  image  upon  his  feet  of 
iron  and  clay,  and  break  them  in  pieces." 

True  Christians  will  never  rise  up  against 
the  powers  that  he :  they  will  ever  render 
unto  Csesar  the  things  that  are  Cesar's,  as, 
unto  God,  the  things  that  are  God's ;  but 
if  any  miserable  child  of  man  presume  to 
rise  up  against  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ, 
he  shall  sooner  or  later  be  defeated ;  and  if 
he  seek  to  destroy  it,  he  shall  surely  be  de- 
stroyed of  it  himself,  just  as  if,  in  a  fit  of 
rage,  I  were  to  rush  with  my  head  against 
that  stone  pillar  to  remove  it  from  its  place, 
or  throw  it  down ;  it  is  it  that  would  crush 
my  head  to  atoms,  and  the  fault  would  be  my 
own  folly  alone. 

Thus,  in  the  last  day,  shall  the  church 
break  its  adversaries  in  pieces.  "  It  shall 
overcome  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,"  it 
shall  overcome  by  "  the  faith  and  patience 
of  the  saints." 

4.  Lastly,  we  here  see  what  shall  be  the 
result  of  this  collision.  One  of  the  kings  be- 
longing to  the  Latin  church,  one  of  the  powers 
of  the  west,  incensed  against  some  portion  of 
the  people  of  God,  shall  seek  to  destroy  them, 
but  he  shall  be  ground  to  powder,  "  like  the 
chaff  of  the  summer's  threshing-floor,  which 

15 


170  ELEVENTH   LESSOX. 

the  wind  scattereth  away."  On  this  occa- 
sion, first  "  the  iron  and  clay,"  (that  is,  both 
the  civil  and  ecclesiastical  power,)  shall  be 
broken ;  and  then  the  brass,  the  silver,  and 
the  gold,  (that  is,  the  powers  which  shall  then 
be  reigning,  whether  in  the  territory  of  the 
eastern  empire,  in  Persia  or  in  Chaldea;) 
and  "  there  shall  be  no  place  for  them." 
There  shall  be  no  more  metal,  no  more 
union,  no  more  strength  or  cohesion  in  hu- 
man powers.  In  former  revolutions,  one 
metal  succeeded  another;  but  in  this  there 
shall  be  nothing  but  dust,  nothing  but  the 
most  frightful  anarchy.  This  complete  and 
universal  breaking  up  of  all  existing  ffovern- 
ments  shall  begin  in  the  toes,  and  extend  to 
the  rest  of  the  image.  Disorder,  terror,  rain, 
shall  overspread  the  whole  earth:  unheard 
of  anarchy,  indescribable  distress,  shall  seize 
upon  all  nations,  which  shall  seem  as  in  the 
agonies  of  dissolution.  But  in  the  midst  of 
this  universal,  this  frightful  perplexity,  this 
little  stone  shall  grow,  grow,  grow  by  the 
power  of  the  Most  High  God.  Then  it  shall 
become  a  great  mountain — and,  finally,  shall 
fill  the  whole  earth.  Yes,  0  Church  of  my 
Saviour,  thou  shalt  fill  the  whole  earth  ! 

Then  shall  the  kingdoms  of  the  world  be 
given  to  the  Son  of  God  for  his  inheritance, 
and  his  dominion  shall  be  glorious;  none 
shall  hinder,  none  shall  disturb,  none  shall 
restrain  it.     Then  shall  it  be  said,   "  The 


THE    PROPHET   DANIEL.  171 

kingdoms  of  this  world  are  become  the  king- 
doms of  the  Lord  and  of  his  Christ.'^  Reve- 
lations xi.  12.  Read  chap.  v.  44,  45. 

"  Then  the  king,  Nebuchadnezzar,  fell 
upon  his  face,  and  worshipped  Daniel,  and 
commanded  that  they  should  offer  an  obla- 
tion and  sweet  odours  unto  him.  The  king 
answered  unto  Daniel,  and  said,  of  a  truth  it 
is  that  your  God  is  a  God  of  gods,  and  a 
Lord  of  kings,  and  a  revealer  of  secrets,  see- 
ing thou  couldest  reveal  this  secret.  Then 
the  king  made  Daniel  a  great  man,  and  gave 
him  many  great  gifts,  and  made  him  ruler 
over  tlie  whole  province  of  Babylon,  and 
chief  of  the  governors  over  all  the  wise  men 
of  Babylon.  Then  Daniel  requested  of  the 
king,  and  he  set  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and 
Abednego,  over  the  affairs  of  the  province 
of  Babylon ;  but  Daniel  sat  in  the  gate  of  the 
king,"  verses  46 — 49. 

Let  us  also,  in  heart,  prostrate  ourselves 
before  the  God  of  gods,  and  King  of  kings. 
Let  us  bow  in  faith  and  love  before  him,  unto 
whom  every  knee  shall  be  compelled  to  bend 
in  heaven  and  on  earth !  Let  us  say  with 
that  happy  man  who  died,  lookhig  to  his 
cross,  "  Lord,  remember  me  when  thou 
comest  into  thy  kingdom  !"  Lord  Jesus,  may 
I  be  found  clothed,  when  thou  comest,  with 
the  robe  of  thy  righteousness,  washed,  pure 
and  spotless,  in  thy  blood  ! 

"  Now,  unto  Him  that  is  able  to  keep  us 


172  ELEVENTH   LESSON. 

from  falling,  and  to  present  us  faultless  before 
the  presence  of  his  glory  with  exceeding  joy, 
to  the  only  wise  God,  our  Saviour,  be  glory 
and  majesty,  dominion  and  power,  both  now 
and  ever,  Amen."  Jude  24,  25. 


TWELFTH    LESSON. 
Daniel  iii.  1 — 15. 

(In  the  absence  of  the  ordinary  mmister, 
this  lecture  was  given  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  B — .) 

The  narrative  which  we  are  about  to  enter 
upon  this  day,  will  lead  us  out  of  the  line  of 
prophecy.  The  course  of  our  lessons  calls 
our  attention  to  other  subjects. 

"Nebuchadnezzar,  the  king,  made  an 
miage  of  gold,  whose  height  was  threescore 
cubits,  and  the  breadth  thereof  six  cubits." 

This  gigantic  image  was  probably  com- 
posed of  plates  of  gold,  rather  than  of  solid 
metal.  It  was  sixty  cubits,  that  is,  one  hun- 
dred feet  high,  the  cubit  of  the  Chaldeans 
being  equal  to  twenty  inches.  This  is  about 
the  height  of  the  tower  of  our  cathedral,  and 
yet  you  need  not  wonder  at  these  enormous 
dimensions,  as  they  are  not  greater  than  those 
of  the  immense  bronze  statue,  which  the 
Italians  have  erected  in  the  vicinity  of  their 
beautiful  Lago  Maggiore,  in  honour  of  an 
ecclesiastic,  named  Carlo  Borromeo.  This 
person  was  an  ancient  bishop  of  Milan,  who 
is  worshipped  with  great  devotion  by  all  the 
Roman  Catholics  in  the  north  of  Italy,  and 
whose  body  is  shown  in  the  cathedral  of 
15*  173 


174  TWELFTH    LESSON. 

Milan,  in  a  coffin  of  rock  crystal.  The  statue 
to  which  I  allude  is  sixty-four  feet  in  height, 
and  rests  upon  a  pedestal  thirty-six  feet  high. 
At  a  distance,  it  looks  like  a  church  steeple, 
and  it  is  said  that  five  persons  can  conveni- 
ently dine  in  the  inside  of  its  head.  The  idol 
which  Nebuchadnezzar  set  up  in  the  plain 
of  Dura  must  hkewise  have  stood  on  a  lofty 
pedestal;  for  the  proportions  of  its  height 
and  breadth  are  not  those  of  the  human  body. 
Supposing  the  breadth  of  the  shoulders  to 
have  been  six  cubits,  the  elevation  of  the 
statue  itself  ought  not  to  have  been  more 
than  twenty-four ;  for  it  is  computed  that  the 
total  height  of  a  well-proportioned  man  is 
eight  times,  and  the  breadth  of  his  shoulders 
at  least  twice  that  of  his  head.  The  pedestal 
of  the  idol  of  Dura  would  therefore  have 
been  at  least  thirty-six  cubits  high. 

You  will  wonder  at  this  instance  of  idola- 
trous pride  on  the  part  of  Nebuchadnezzar. 
What !  you  will  say,  is  not  this  the  man  who 
so  lately  was  a  witness  and  an  admirer  of 
an  astonishing  miracle?  Is  it  not  he  who 
cast  himself  at  the  feet  of  the  prophet,  and 
exclaimed,  "  Of  a  truth  it  is,  that  your  God 
is  a  God  of  gods,  and  a  Lord  of  kings,  and 
a  revealer  of  secrets."  But  now,  behold,  he 
erects  an  idol,  and  requires  all  his  people  to 
worship  it !  We  do  not,  it  is  true,  know  the 
precise  epoch  of  this  sad  event ;  but  it  is  too 
certain  that  it  was  subsequent  to  the  period 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.        175 

of  the  miraculous  dream,  as  we  read  of 
Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abednego  being 
already  "set  over  the  affairs  of  Babylon/' 
ver.  12. 

Some  persons  have  supposed  that  the  gi- 
gantic image  set  up  in  the  plain  of  Dura  was 
only  a  representation  of  that  which  Nebu- 
chadnezzar had  seen  in  his  dream ;  and  that 
he  ignorantly  designed  it  as  a  homage  to  the 
God  of  gods,  whose  revelations  he  had  re- 
ceived by  the  mouth  of  Daniel.  But  from 
the  sequel  of  this  history,  and  from  what  is 
related,  chapter  vii.  4 — 6,  it  is  much  more 
probable  that  Nebuchadnezzar  was  induced 
to  erect  this  image  by  the  persuasions  of  the 
great  men  of  Babylon,  who  hoped  thereby 
to  compromise  the  companions  of  Daniel, 
and  to  destroy  their  credit  with  the  king.  In- 
deed, it  may  be  asked,  why  this  threat  of  a 
burning  fiery  furnace,  unless  it  was  directed 
against  the  Hebrews  ?  Was  there  any  neces- 
sity for  placing  before  the  eyes  of  the  idola- 
trous Chaldeans  the  instruments  of  a  horrible 
death,  to  induce  them  to  worship  a  new 
idol? 

However  this  may  be,  dear  children,  you 
see  here  another  proof  of  the  hardness,  and 
of  the  vain  and  wicked  folly  of  the  heart  of 
man.  But,  before  we  go  further,  there  is  one 
reflection  which  I  desire  to  make  to  you.  We 
come  to  this  place  to  study  the  Bible,  but  not 
to  acquiie  a  vain  knowledge  which  puffeth 


176  TWELFTH    LESSON. 

up  and  flatters  pride.  This,  however,  is  what 
unfortunately  too  often  happens.  Look  at 
Nebuchadnezzar ;  hke  us,  he  had  just  been 
learning  the  prophecies,  and  that  from  the 
lips  of  Daniel  himself;  and  yet  what  does  he 
do  ?  he  sets  up  an  idol.  You,  in  like  manner, 
come  to  study  the  prophecies  in  the  book  of 
this  same  Daniel;  beware,  therefore,  that 
you  also  become  not  idolaters.  The  Bible 
was  given  to  sanctify  you ;  and  any  study  of 
it  which  has  not  the  effect  of  rendering  you 
more  sincere,  more  pure,  more  humble,  more 
obedient,  more  meek,  is  nothing,  yea,  worse 
than  nothing ;  it  is  even  injurious,  culpable, 
and  will  only  serve  to  condemn  you. 

The  word  of  God  was  intended  to  be  a 
nourishment  to  our  souls.  Now  no  substance 
can  afford  nourishment,  unless  it  become 
chyle,  blood,  flesh,  veins,  muscles,  and  bones, 
in  those  who  receive  it.  So,  in  like  manner, 
to  afford  us  spiritual  nourishment,  the  word 
of  God  must  cause  Christ  to  dwell  in  our 
hearts  by  faith.  Hence  it  will  avail  us  little 
to  come  here  to  meditate  upon  the  folly  of 
Nebuchadnezzar,  as  others  have  coldly  done 
on  the  denial  of  Peter,  and  the  sin  of  Mag- 
dalene, unless  we  learn  to  look  inward,  and 
to  ask  ourselves,  how  have  we  profited  by 
what  we  have  heard  ?  In  a  time  of  religions 
awakening,  like  the  present,  some  children 
may  make  it  a  motive  of  pride,  that  they  are 
better  acquainted  with  their  Bibles  than  their 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.        177 

fathers ;  doubtless  this  knowledge  is  an  ines- 
timable treasure  ;  but  to  know  without  pos- 
sessing^ to  learn  without  profiting^  is  vanity 
of  vanities,  misery  of  miseries. 

But  let  us  return  to  Nebuchadnezzar.  We 
said,  how  infatuated,  how  ungrateful,  after  so 
many  wonders  performed  in  his  presence  ! 
But  let  us  take  care  that  we  be  not  all  like 
Nebuchadnezzar.  We  also  have  seen  great 
things.  Many  of  you,  no  doubt,  have  learned 
by  experience,  that  God  heareth  prayer.  But 
after  this  happy  experience,  have  you  not 
returned  a  thousand  times  to  your  sins,  your 
follies,  and  your  idolatries  ?  There  are  many 
ways  in  which  we  may  worship  false  gods ; 
and  it  is  by  no  means  necessary  that  we 
should  bow  down  before  them.  Whenever 
the  heart  follows  with  a  decided  preference, 
and  with  eagerness,  after  any  object  but  God, 
whatever  be  the  name  by  which  that  object 
is  called,  it  is  idolatry ;  and  this  disorder  of 
the  affections  soon  leads  from  sin  to  sin. 
Let  us  then  examine  ourselves,  and  see  whe- 
ther, while  we  accuse  Nebuchadnezzar,  we 
may  not  have  much  more  reason  to  condemn 
ourselves ;  whether  we  have  not  to  fight 
against  some  passion,  which  leads  us  to  pre- 
fer certain  objects  to  God,  and  to  give  them 
the  place  of  God  in  our  hearts !  For  these 
are  our  idols ;  these  are  our  false  gods. 

"  Then  Nebuchadnezzar,  the  king,  sent  to 
gather  together  the  princes,  the  governors, 


178  TWELFTH   LESSON. 

the  captains,  the  judges,  the  treasurers,  the 
counsellors,  the  sheriffs,  and  all  the  rulers  of 
the  provinces,  to  come  to  the  dedication  of 
the  image  which  Nebuchadnezzar  the  king 
had  made,"  ver.  2. 

The  word  dedication  is  applied  to  any 
festival  celebrated  for  the  purpose  of  pre- 
senting some  sacred  object  as  an  offering  to 
God ;  or  in  general,  of  soleimiizing  the  day 
on  wiiich  some  institution  has  been  esta- 
blished, or  some  monument  founded  or  com- 
pleted. Thus,  for  example,  when  a  Christian 
enters  a  new  house,  he  will  say, — This  is  an 
important  day"  in  my  life — I  have  taken  one 
step  more  in  my  journey !  What  trials, 
what  vicissitudes  await  me  here,  I  know  not ! 
Here,  perhaps,  I  shall  surrender  up  my  last 
breath  !  Here  I  shall  have  sorrow  and  joy, 
calls  of  grace  and  visits  of  mercy.  Ah  !  may 
this  house  be  dedicated  to  the  Lord  !  In  the 
same  way  we  may  dedicate  everything.  And 
you  remember,  perhaps,  what  took  place  at 
the  opening  of  this  chapel  not  many  years 
since ;  how  we  implored  God  that  it  might 
never  be  employed  for  any  other  purpose  but 
his  glory,  the  salvation  of  souls,  and  the 
preaching  of  his  truth.  This  was  its  dedica- 
tion. 

Now  Nebuchadnezzar,  as  we  have  said, 
being  desirous  to  celebrate  the  dedication  of 
his  image,  assembled  all  the  principal  estates 
of  his  empire ;  and  issued  a  command,  that 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       179 

at  what  time  they  should  hear  the  sound  of 
various  kinds  of  music,  all  should  fall  down 
and  worship  the  image  which  he  had  set  up, 
on  pain  of  being  cast  into  a  burning  fiery 
furnace. 

Such  were  the  trials  to  which  the  people 
of  God  in  Babylon  were  at  that  time  exposed. 
Thousands  of  Hebrews  had  been  brought 
thither  by  Nebuchadnezzar;  and  this  was 
their  hour  of  conflict  with  Satan,  the  world, 
and  its  pomps.  No  sooner,  therefore,  do  the 
people,  nations,  and  languages,  throughout 
the  vast  empire,  hear  the  appointed  signal, 
the  clashing  of  the  cymbals,  the  clangor  of 
the  trumpet,  the  sound  of  the  harp,  the  flute, 
the  dulcimer,  and  all  kinds  of  music,  than 
they  fall  down  before  the  golden  image ;  but 
the  faithful  among  the  Jews  refuse  to  obey, 
and  immediately  are  accused  before  the  king. 

The  monarchs  of  the  East  are  exceed- 
ingly haughty ;  none  are  allowed  to  look  at 
them,  much  less  to  disobey  them  !  It  is  told 
to  the  king  of  Babylon  that  three  of  the 
Jews,  disputing  his  command,  have  refused  to 
do  homage  to  his  idol. 

You  Imow  who  these  three  happy  martyrs 
were  ;  they  were  the  three  friends  of  Daniel. 
But  perhaps  you  wonder  that  only  three  are 
mentioned,  and  that  the  prophet  Daniel  is  not 
among  the  number.  We  are  not  told  the 
reason  of  this ;  it  is  possible  he  may  have 
been  absent  from  Babylon  at  the  Vm^ ;  c    f  j 


180  TWELFTH    LESSON. 

not,  though  faithful  Uke  the  other  tliree,  he 
may  have  owed  his  safety  to  the  fear  which 
his  reputation  inspired.  The  enemies  of  the 
people  of  God  would  not  venture  to  attack 
a  man  so  high  in  the  favour  of  the  sovereign, 
and  therefore  they  resolved  to  try  first  what 
they  could  do  with  less  noble  victims. 

However  this  may  be,  the  recusants  are 
denounced  to  the  king,  and  he  cannot  avoid 
punishing  them.  Next  Sunday  you  will  see 
their  admirable  firmness,  even  in  the  midst 
of  the  fiery  furnace  ;  for  the  present  we  must 
confine  our  observations  to  the  conduct  of 
Nebuchadnezzar.  "Who  is  that  God,"  he 
presumes  to  say,  "  who  is  that  God  that  shall 
dehver  you  out  of  my  hands  ?" 

My  dear  children,  we  shall  terminate  where 
we  began.  You  see  here  the  presumptuous 
arrogance  and  the  infatuated  vanity  of  the 
heart  of  man ;  you  see  the  frantic  pride  of 
this  worm  of  the  earth,  who  demands :  "  Who 
is  that  God  that  shall  deliver  you  ?"  He 
lives,  he  moves,  he  exists  in  God,  he  cannot 
breathe  a  single  breath  without  him;  God 
has  but  to  cut  a  single  thread,  and  he  will 
sink  into  that  nothing  out  of  which  he  was 
created,  and  yet  he  demands,  "'  Who  is  that 
God  that  can  deliver  you  out  of  my  hand  ?" 
But,  my  dear  children,  let  us  watch  oA^^er 
ourselves,  and  let  us  remember  that  God  is, 
indeed,  able  to  deliver.  Ah  !  were  you  com- 
manded to  fall  down  and  worship  idol  goJs, 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  181 

or  to  adore  images,  or  saints,  or  the  mass,  and 
threatened,  in  case  of  disobedience,  with  the 
horrors  of  a  burning  fiery  furnace,  you  would 
then  have  need  to  remember  that  God  is  able 
to  deliver.  But  alas  !  how  often,  on  the  con- 
trary, when  you  have  seen  before  you  some 
danger  to  be  encountered,  some  obstacle  to 
be  surmounted,  some  sacrifice  to  be  made, 
have  you  thought  deliverance  impossible ! 
and  how  often  has  this  unbelief  entailed 
upon  you  much  evil !  Often  has  conscience 
whispered  to  you :  "  True,  duty  would  lead 
me  to  act  in  a  different  manner  from  what  I 
do  ;  but  then  I  should  lay  myself  open  to  the 
reproaches  of  my  friends,  and  afford  them  an 
occasion  to  speak  against  me :  they  would 
misunderstand  me  ;  they  would  forsake,  per- 
haps persecute  me ;  perhaps  it  is  better  for 
me  to  make  some  concessions,  than  to  attempt 
to  brave  so  many  difficulties."  Thus  you 
remembered  not  that  God  was  able  to  deliver 
you  even  from  a  burning  fiery  furnace. 

Ah !  be  faithful  to  your  master,  love  him, 
seek  his  will,  his  whole  will,  and  nothing  but 
his  will ;  yield  not  a  hair's  breadth ;  there  is 
but  one  rule  for  you  to  follow,  and  it  is  this : 
"  Go  on,  come  what  may ;"  God  is  able  to 
deliver  you,  though  your  enemies  were  to 
heat  against  you  all  the  furnaces  in  the  world. 
Ah  !  fear  rather  the  furnaces  of  hell,  and  the 
fire  which  is  never  quenched. 

But  when  you  leave  this  place,  what  are 
16 


182  TWELFTH   LESSON. 

you  called  upon  to  do  ?  "  Oh !  take  heed 
to  yourselves  :  blessed  are  they  that  hear  the 
word  of  God  and  do  it !"  See  that  there  is 
not  anything  in  your  character,  your  conduct, 
or  your  habits  of  life,  which  is  contrary  to 
the  will  of  God ;  and  if  hitherto  it  has  been 
so,  look  no  longer  to  the  judgment  of  men: 
it  is  wiser  to  obey  God.  No  doubt  young 
persons  may  be  placed  in  difficult,  delicate, 
and  painful  situations.  They  are  called  upon 
to  pay  much  deference  to  the  counsel  of  their 
ministers,  their  parents,  or  their  superiors ; 
they  are  required  to  be  meek  and  lowly  of 
heart;  to  abhor  everything  like  disrespect 
and  impertinence ;  but  shoiild  it  so  happen 
that  others  should  seek  to  draw  you  into 
what  is  evidently  wrong,  and  that  faithful- 
ness on  your  part  should  Expose  you  to  many 
sufferings,  ah!  then  remember  the  God  of 
Daniel ;  remember  that  God  is  able  to  de- 
liver ! 


THIRTEENTH    LESSON. 
Daniel  iii.  16-25. 

We  have  already  come  to  the  close  of  the 
first  of  these  important  predictions,  which  we 
find  recorded  in  the  hook  of  the  prophet 
Daniel ;  and  we  have  seen  that  it  annomices 
to  the  world  revolutions  not  yet  consum- 
mated, and  others  whose  accomplishment  has 
not  yet  commenced.  We  now  proceed  to 
direct  our  attention  to  other  subjects  of  con- 
templation. Four  long  chapters,  from  the 
third  to  the  sixth,  have  intervened  without 
any  prophetic  history;  and,  consequently, 
for  several  weeks  other  objects  of  study  and 
of  admiration  shall  occupy  our  meditations. 
But  if  we  are  permitted  to  proceed  together, 
as  far  as  the  seventh  chapter,  we  shall  again 
have  occasion  to  return  to  the  four  monarch- 
ies, and  frequently  to  carry  forward  our 
thoughts  to  the  happy  universal  reign  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  We  shall  find  our  recol- 
lections of  the  image  very  useful  in  affording 
us  a  key  to  these  new  oracles  of  God ;  and 
I  hope  that  none  of  you,  my  dear  children, 
will  have  forgotten  them. 

But  let  us  now  return  to  Babylon. 

A  horrible  auto-da-fe  was  celebrating  in 

183 


184  THIRTEENTH    LESSON". 

that  city.  The  kmg,  Nebuchadnezzar,  had 
commanded  the  three  young  Hebrews  who 
refused  to  worship  his  idol  to  be  cast  aUve 
into  the  burning  fiery  furnace.  I  say  an 
auto-da-fe,  which  means,  in  Spanish,  an  act 
of  faith.  Tiiis  is  the  name  which  was  given 
to  scenes  not  less  cruel,  nor  attended  with 
less  solemnity,  which  took  place  200  years 
ago,  in  various  cities  of  Italy,  France,  Ger- 
many, and  especially  Spain;  Avhen,  in  the 
name  of  what  is  called  the  Holy  Father^ 
that  is,  the  Pope,  and  of  the  holy  inquisition, 
which  is  a  tribunal  of  priests,  hundreds  of 
men  and  Avomen,  not  less  pious,  nor  less  ex- 
cellent, nor  less  faithful,  than  Shadrach, 
Meshach,  and  Abednego,  were  burned  alive 
in  the  public  market-places. 

I  happened  to  open,  a  few  days  ago,  the 
history  of  the  reformation  in  Spain,  and  of 
the  martyrs  of  that  country;  and  among 
other  accounts,  I  fell  upon  that  of  800  per- 
sons of  the  Protestant  church  of  Seville,  who 
were  imprisoned,  at  one  time,  by  order  of  the 
inquisition  in  that  wicked  and  unfortunate 
city.  I  could  not  help  being  struck  by  the 
resemblance.  The  pompous  solemnities  with 
which  the  Hebrew  youths  were  burned  3000 
years  ago,  before  the  court  of  Babylon,  were 
the  image,  only  less  magnificent,  of  those 
with  which  Protestants  were  burned  before 
the  court  of  Spain,  in  the  market-place  of 
Del  Campo,  near  Valladolid,  or  on  the  scaf- 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.        185 

folds  of  Seville ;  the  ceremonies  the  same, 
the  tortures  the  same,  the  pmiishment  the 
same,  and  for  the  same  cause. 

When  the  priests  of  the  inquisition  disco- 
vered that  any  individual  had  read  the  Bible 
in  the  vulgar  tongue,  or  had  refused,  from 
conscience,  to  worship  St.  James  of  Com- 
postello,  or  the  Virgin  Mary,  or  the  bones  of 
the  saints,  or  their  pictures,  or  graven  images, 
immediately  they  made  preparations  for  his 
execution  in  the  public  market-square,  or  be- 
fore the  gate  of  the  city,  during  Easter  week. 
The  means  of  destruction  were,  as  I  have 
already  said,  the  same,  the  fire.  The  cause 
was  the  same,  refusing  to  worship  any  but 
the  true  and  living  God.  The  pageantry  was 
the  same  ;  the  king  of  Spain  was  there  with 
his  queen,  and  all  his  court ;  even  here  the 
king  of  Babylon,  with  his  princes,  his  gov- 
ernors, and  captains,  his  counsellors,  and  all 
the  estates  of  his  kingdom,  were  present  to 
witness  the  burning  of  the  three  Hebrew 
youths.  The  Friday  after  Easter  they  all 
assembled  together,  and  the  next  day  they 
marched  in  solemn  procession  in  the  follow- 
ing order.  First,  there  were  the  children  of 
the  schools,  headed  by  the  ecclesiastics,  sing- 
ing hymns;  next  came  the  prisoners  con- 
demned to  the  stake,  each  supported  by  two 
monks,  one  on  either  side  ;  their  hands  were 
tied  across  their  breasts ;  they  wore  long  yel- 
low Imen  dresses,  with  figures    of   devils 

16* 


186  THIRTEENTH  LESSON. 

painted  on  them  ;  their  heads  were  covered 
with  a  tiara,  or  cap  of  pasteboard,  which  was 
hkewise  ornamented  with  painted  demons 
and  flames  of  fire ;  gags  of  iron  and  wood, 
called    mordazas,  were    thrust    into    their 
mouths,  to  make  them  appear  more  hideous 
to  the  people,  by  distending  their  jaws  in  a 
horrible  manner,  and  to  prevent  their  giving 
expression,  as  they  went  along,  to  the  glow- 
ing hopes  which  animated  their  breasts,  and 
to  the  aflectionate  appeals  which  their  cha- 
rity might  have  dictated.     They  were  fol- 
lowed, first,  by  the  senators  of  the  city,  the 
alguazils,  and  judges,  and  after  these,  by  the 
lieutenant  of  the  king,  and  the  nobles  on 
horseback.     Next  came  all  the  members  of 
the  clergy,  the  bishop  and  his  vicars-general, 
the  priests  and  the  monks;   and  lastly,  to 
conclude  the  pageant,  the  kings  of  the  cere- 
mony, the  members  of  the  inquisition,  leav- 
ing a  large  empty  space  between  them  and 
the  rest  of  the  assembly,  and  preceded  by  an 
immense  banner  of  scarlet  damask,  with  the 
portrait  of  the  Pope,  and  his  coat  of  arms 
embroidered  on  it,  borne  by  the  fiscal  at- 
torney. 

One  of  the  accounts  which  I  read  was 
that  of  four  ladies  of  high  birth,  in  1559. 
Isabella  de  Vaenia,  Maria  de  Viroes,  the 
young,  pious,  and  noble  Maria  de  Bohorches, 
with  her  young  sister,  Cornelia.  Twenty 
years  of  age,  deeply  versed  in  the  holy  scrip- 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       187 

tures,  and  fiill  of  faith  and  of  prayer,  this 
young  woman  went  to  the  stake,  before  the 
gate  of  Seville,  with  the  same  courage  as  the 
three  young  Hebrews,  and  in  the  same  cause; 
her  hands  bound  before  her,  wearing  the 
yellow  linen  dress,  and  the  tiara  on  her  head, 
in  the  cause  of  her  Saviour.  "  Her  counte- 
nance," say  the  historians,  "  was  so  joyous 
as  she  was  going  to  death,  and  she  sung  in 
so  loud  and  clear  a  strain,  that  the  tribunal 
immediately  ordered  the  cruel  raordaza  to 
be  put  into  her  mouth,  as  in  the  case  of  these 
men ;  but  she  died  in  the  joy  of  the  Holy 
Spirit/' 

And  such,  3000  years  before,  had  been  the 
martyrdom  of  the  three  noble  young  He- 
brews in  the  vicinity  of  Babylon. 

But  contemplate,  my  friends,  this  won- 
drous scene,  this  sublime  and  touching  spec- 
tacle on  the  plain  of  Dura  !  Can  you  imagine 
the  thrilling  sensations  of  such  a  day  !  The 
multitude  had  seen  these  three  young  men, 
all  distinguished  for  their  birth,  their  educa- 
tion, their  noble  blood — they  were  three 
governors  of  provinces — led  forth  to  death. 
An  immense  concourse  had  assembled  on 
the  vast  plain;  all  the  powers  of  Babylon 
surrounded  the  terrible  Nebuchadnezzar, 
seated  on  his  throne ;  the  princes,  the  gov- 
ernors, the  captains,  the  counsellors  of  the 
king.  These  three  pious  and  heroic  youths 
were  thrown,  bound  like  JNIaria  de  Bohor- 


18S  THIRTEENTH   LESSON. 

dies,  but  without  mordazas,  into  the  hor- 
rible fiery  furnace.  Doubtless  they  were 
calm,  like  that  young  Christian,  and  full  of  a 
spirit  of  prayer.  It  was  expected,  however, 
that  they  would  give  utterance  to  some  first 
cries  of  suffering  and  of  anguish.  But,  no  ! 
See !  what  has  happened }  The  king  of 
Babylon,  heretofore  so  enraged,  arises ;  he 
is  in  amazement  ;  he  approaches  ;  he  is 
troubled ;  he  is  affrighted.  What  is  the  mat- 
ter, and  what  can  he  have  seen  in  the  fiery 
furnace  ?  There  are  no  longer  only  three 
men  in  it ;  there  are  four !  They  are  no 
longer  bound ;  they  are  without  bonds ! 
They  walk  about  in  the  fire  as  one  would 
do  in  the  chambers  of  a  palace,  or  in  the  pa- 
vilions of  a  sanctuary  !  "  What !"  exclaims 
he,  "  did  we  not  cast  three  men  bound  into 
the  midst  of  the  fire  ?"  They  answered, 
"  True,  0  king." 

Then  said  he,  "  Lo,  I  see  four  men  loose, 
walking  in  the  midst  of  the  fire,  and  they 
have  no  hurt ;  and  the  form  of  the  fourth 
is  like  the  Son  of  God  !" 

Thus,  my  friends,  were  these  three  young 
believers,  who  put  their  confidence  in  God, 
delivered  out  of  the  fire.  Judge  what  must 
have  been  the  amazement  of  the  princes  and 
captains,  the  governors  and  officers  of  the 
king,  when  they  beheld  them. 

They  expected  never  more  to  hear  of  them 
ill  this  world,  and  behold  they  come  out  of 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  189 

the  fire  with  countenance  serene,  with  ex- 
pression sublime,  radiant  with  gratitude,  and 
beaming  with  peace ;  not  a  hair  of  their 
heads  was  injured  ;  the  smell  of  fire  had  not 
passed  upon  them  ;  one  thing  only  was 
burned.  And  what  was  that  ?  Their  bonds ; 
yes,  their  bonds  !  They  feared  not  the  king's 
word  ;  they  gave  up  their  bodies  ;  they  put 
their  trust  in  the  Lord,  and  the  Lord  deliv- 
ered them.  Behold  them  !  glory  to  God  ! 
yea,  glory  to  God  !  Praise  the  Lord,  for  he 
is  good,  and  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever  ! 

But  I  proceed  to  consider  the  more  imme- 
diate subject  of  our  meditations  this  day, 
which  is  the  answer  of  the  three  young  He- 
brews to  the  king  of  Babylon,  when  they 
saw  themselves  placed  between  the  fury  of 
his  look  and  the  burning  heat  of  the  fiery 
furnace. 

When  Nebuchadnezzar  Avas  told  that  the 
three  Hebrew  governors  whom  he  had  set 
over  the  provinces  of  Babylon,  had  refused 
to  pay  him  the  required  homage,  filled  with 
fury,  he  forgot  all  the  lessons  which  he  had 
learned  from  Daniel ;  the  form  of  his  visage 
was  changed ;  he  was  no  longer  able  to  re- 
strain himself;  and  immediately  summoning 
before  his  throne  the  three  offenders,  he  said 
unto  them,  "  Is  it  true,  0  Shadrach,  Meshach, 
and  Abednego,  do  not  ye  serve  my  gods,  nor 
worship  the  golden  image  which  I  have  set 
up  ?  If  ye  fall  down  and  worship  the  image 


190  THIRTEENTH    LESSON. 

which  I  have  made,  well ;  but  if  ye  worship 
not,  ye  shall  be  cast  the  same  hour  into  the 
midst  of  a  burning  fiery  furnace ;  and  who 
is  that  God  that  shall  deliver  you  out  of  my 
hands?"  ver.  14,  15. 

Now  hear  their  admirable  answer;  and 
mark  the  dignity,  the  calmness,  the  faith 
which  it  breathes. 

But  observe,  first,  that  notwithstanding 
their  courage  and  the  injustice  of  the  king, 
there  is  nothing  of  bitterness  or  disrespect  in 
their  reply ;  they  do  not  exclaim  against  the 
injustice  of  their  treatment;  they  do  not 
make  a  great  noise ;  in  this  respect  they  are 
not  like  enthusiasts ;  they  speak  without 
pride,  Avithout  passion,  they  address  their 
monarch  with  respect ;  they  know  that  they 
ought  to  honour  authorities,  even  when  un- 
happily they  are  obliged  to  disobey  them. 
Thus  we  find  the  apostle  Paul  addressing  the 
Roman  governor,  Festus,  with  the  title  of 
"Most  noble,"  at  the  very  moment  when 
the  latter  had  cried  to  him  from  his  judg- 
ment-seat, ''Paul,  thou  art  beside  thyself; 
much  learning  doth  make  thee  mad." — "  I 
am  not  mad,"  said  he,  "  most  noble  Festus ; 
I  speak  the  words  of  truth  and  soberness." 

But  again,  in  addition  to  this  respectful- 
ness, notice  also  the  firmness,  faith,  and  dignity 
of  their  language.  They  had  read  in  the 
word  of  God,  "  Thou  shalt  not  make  to  thy- 
self any  graven  image  ;  thou  shalt  not  bow 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  191 

down  to  them,  nor  worship  them ;"  they  had 
read  that  command,  and  they  resolved  to 
abide  by  it.  They  chose  to  die  rather  than 
sin.  They  feared  that  King  who  has  power 
to  cast  into  hell  more  than  the  king  of  Baby- 
lon ;  they  feared  the  fire  of  hell  more  than 
the  fire  of  the  burning  furnace.  Imagine  to 
yourselves  these  three  young  men  in  presence 
of  the  princes,  the  governors,  the  captains, 
and  the  counsellors  of  the  empire,  and  of  the 
assembled  thousands  in  the  plain  of  Dura ; 
in  presence  of  the  incensed  king,  with  the 
burning  fiery  furnace,  into  which  they  were 
presently  to  be  cast,  full  in  their  view  ;  and 
then  hear  their  reply,  and  you  will  be  con- 
vinced that  they  were  enabled  to  look  higher 
than  this  earth,  and  as  St.  Paul  says,  "to 
see"  by  faith  "him  that  is  invisible,"  Heb. 
xi.  25—27. 

"  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abednego,  an- 
swered and  said  to  the  king,  0  Nebuchad- 
nezzar, we  are  not  careful  to  answer  thee  in 
this  matter.  If  it  be  "so,  our  God  is  able  to 
deliver  us  from  the  burning  fiery  furnace ; 
and  he  will  deliver  us  out  of  thine  hand,  O 
king  !  But  if  not,  be  it  known  unto  thee,  0 
king !  that  we  will  not  serve  thy  gods,  nor 
worship  the  golden  image  which  thou  hast 
set  up." 

Ah  !  they  had  been  threatened  with  death ; 
it  was  already  prepared  for  them;  it  was 
terrible ;  but  they  knew  in  whom  they  be- 


192  THIRTEENTH    LESSON. 

lieved,  and  they  could  say,  "I  am  ready/' 
They  had  learned  when  they  were  young 
that  sixteenth  Psalm,  which  has  been  a  com- 
fort to  many  a  dying  Christian ;  for  that 
Psalm  was  in  their  Bible,  as  well  as  in  ours ; 
and  from  the  earliest  times,  all  the  Israelites 
were  accustomed  to  learn  the  Psalms  by 
heart.  "  Preserve  me,  0  God ;  for  in  thee 
do  I  put  my  trust.  0  my  soul,  thou  hast 
said  unto  the  Lord,  thou  art  my  Lord.  Their 
sorrows  shall  be  multiplied  that  hasten  after 
another  god ;  their  drink  offerings  of  blood 
will  not  I  offer,  nor  take  up  their  names  into 
my  lips.  The  Lord  is  the  portion  of  mine 
inheritance  and  of  my  cup — thou  maintain- 
est  my  lot.  I  have  set  the  Lord  always 
before  me.  Because  he  is  on  my  right  hand, 
I  shall  not  be  moved."  But  let  us  hear  at- 
tentively their  answer.  There  are  three  things 
in  it  which  deserve  our  notice. 

1.  They  do  not  hesitate  a  moment  in  giv- 
ing it.  "  We  are  not  careful  to  answer  thee 
m  this  matter."  This  expression,  however, 
is  not  clear,  and  is  capable  of  being  inter- 
preted, as  having  something  disrespectful  in 
it.  The  duty  of  these  young  men  evidently 
was  to  answer  the  king ;  and  it  would  have 
been  exceedingly  improper  if  they  had  re- 
fused to  do  so  ;  and  accordingly  we  see  that 
in  point  of  fact  they  did  answer  him.  The 
phrase  may,  with  more  propriety  and  correct- 
ness, be  rendered :   "  We  are  not  at  a  loss  to 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  193 

answer  thee,  we  have  not  to  search  what 
answer  we  shall  give  thee,  0  king  !  our  an- 
swer is  ready ;  our  God  hath  spoken,  and 
consequently,  we  have  but  one  way  to 
take/' 

Such,  my  friends,  is  one  feature  in  the  an- 
swer of  these  three  young  Hebrews,  which  I 
would  point  out,  and  which  I  Avould  recom- 
mend to  you  for  your  imitation.  When 
temptation  comes  in  our  way,  we  ought  not 
to  do  like  Balaam,  who,  after  having  said : 
"  If  Balak  would  give  me  his  house  full  of 
gold,  I  cannot  go  beyond  the  word  of  the 
Lord,"  yet  soon  after  added :  "  Tarry  ye 
here  also,  that  I  may  know  what  the  Lord 
will  say  unto  me  more  ;"  for  thus  it  was  that 
this  unhappy  man  fell  into  the  snare  of  the 
devil. — We  must  say  to  sin :  Get  thee  behind 
me  Satan  ! — We  must  flee  from  it,  and  as  we 
flee,  exclaim  like  Joseph  :  "  How  shall  I  do 
this  great  evil,  and  sin  against  God  ?" 

2.  But  in  the  second  place,  notice  the  open- 
ness and  faithful  decision  of  their  answer. 
They  seek  no  excuses  nor  pretexts. — No  ! 
when  obedience  to  God  is  in  question,  we 
must  be  fearless  and  straight-forward,  both  in 
our  language  and  in  our  conduct. — Hear  how 
they  express  themselves :  He  whom  we  serve 
is  God,  he  is  our  God ;  "  be  it  known  unto 
thee,  0  king,  that  we  will  not  serve  thy  gods, 
nor  worship  the  golden  image  which  thou 
hast  set  up.'' 
17 


194  THIRTEENTH    LESSON. 

3.  But  notice  in  the  third  place,  their  con- 
fidence in  God.  "  Our  God  whom  we  serve, 
is  able  to  deliver  us  from  the  burning  fiery 
furnace,"  and  even  though  he  were  not  to 
prevent  our  being  cast  into  it,  yet  we  iinow 
that  in  some  way  or  other  "  he  will  deliver 
us  out  of  thy  hand,  0  king  !" 

4.  Lastly,  notice  their  resolution,  so  simple, 
and  at  the  same  time  so  holy  and  so  mag- 
nanimous. Whatever  our  God  is  pleased  to 
do  with  us,  our  path  is  plain  ;  he  hath  taught 
us  what  we  have  to  do.  To  deliver  is  his ; 
we  have  nothing  to  do  with  that ;  he  will 
manage  it  as  he  sees  fit ;  but  to  obey  is  ours  ; 
and  this  also  is  our  security,  our  happiness, 
and  our  glory;  and  through  his  grace,  we 
will  be  faithful  in  it ! 

But  now,  dear  children,  suppose  that  in- 
stead of  thus  answering  before  the  king,  and 
all  the  assembly  of  Babylon,  these  young 
believers  had  demanded  time  to  consider, 
and  had  asked  the  advice  of  their  friends — 
what  counsels,  think  you,  would  they,  in  ali 
probability,  have  received  ?  I  will  tell  you  ; 
for  I  have  known  analogous  cases  and  temp 
tations  of  a  similar  kind.  I  think  I  hear 
them :  "  Dear  friends,  dear  Shadrach,  JVIe- 
shach,  and  Abednego,  have  you  well  con- 
sidered what  you  are  going  to  do  ?  you  are 
going  to  give  up  your  situations  and  a  post 
in  which  you  do  so  much  good !  Is  it  not 
evident  that  you  are  in  3^our  place  in  the 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  195 

magistracy  of  Babylon  ?  Undoubtedly ;  for 
who  could  have  thought,  humanly  speaking, 
that  you  should  ever  have  been  called  to  it  ? 
It  was  evidently  God  himself  that  put  you 
into  it  by  his  Almighty  interposition,  when 
he  endowed  Daniel  with  miraculous  wisdom, 
and  established  him  at  the  gate  of  the  king. 
And  what  will  become  of  your  poor  country- 
men, if  you  are  taken  away  from  us  by  a 
public  execution?  Unhappy  children  of 
exile,  they  will  be  oppressed  by  the  Chal- 
deans ;  and  you  become  the  cause  of  all  this 
misery  to  them,  because  you  will  incense  the 
king,  and  the  whole  nation,  more  and  more 
against  them.  They  will  persecute  them, 
they  will  deprive  them  of  the  liberty  of  serv- 
ing God,  they  will  cruelly  oppress  them,  and 
you  shall  be  the  cause.  0  think,  dear  friends, 
how  promisingly  things  have  been  going  on 
for  some  time  back  !  there  have  been  in- 
stances of  conversion ;  the  princes  and  nobles 
have  begun  to  favour  us ;  even  Nebuchad- 
nezzar is  making  progress ;  he  has  received 
some  convictions ;  he  is  improving  daily. 
Think  what  it  would  be  if  that  man  were  to 
give  himself  to  God !  And  after  all,  dear 
brethren,  what  is  it  that  is  required  of  you  ? 
A  mere  momentary  compliance  ;  you  are  not 
called  upon  to  make  any  abjuration ;  it  is  a 
matter  of  discipline,  and  not  of  doctrine  ;  you 
are  allowed  full  liberty  of  conscience.  What 
harm  will  it  do,  if  you  bow  down  like  all  the 


196  THIRTEENTH    LESSON. 

rest,  and  like  the  Jews  at  Jerusalem,  who  have 
even  sent  deputies  to  Babylon  !  You  are  not 
prevented  to  think  as  you  like ;  you  may 
abhor  idolatry  in  your  hearts ;  you  may  even 
openly  express  your  hatred  of  it  elsewhere. 
Every  body  knows  that  you  are  forced ;  that 
you  are  captives,  slaves,  and  strangers  !  And 
besides  all  this,  Nebuchadnezzar  is  your 
benefactor,  and  you  must  not  forget  his  kind- 
ness  " 

"  Get  thee  behind  me,  get  thee  behind  me 
Satan  V^ — "  Get  thee  behind  me,  Simon,  thou 
son  of  Jonas,  thou  savourest  not  the  things 
that  be  of  God,  but  the  things  that  be  of 
men,  and  by  thy  carnal  tenderness,  thou  art 
an  occasion  of  fall  unto  me."  Life  eternal, 
life  eternal !  Obedience,  obedience  !  "Who- 
soever shall  be  ashamed  of  Jesus  and  of  his 
words,  of  him  will  he  be  ashamed  when  he 
comes  in  his  glory,  and  in  the  glory  of  his 
Father  and  of  his  holy  angels  !"  Luke  ix.  26. 
But  blessed  be  God,  my  brethren,  blessed  be 
God,  the  three  young  Hebrew  believers 
sought  other  counsels,  hearkened  to  another 
prudence,  and  followed  another  policy ;  the 
prudence  of  the  saints,  the  comisels  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  the  policy  of  heaven  !  Yes,  they 
looked  up  to  the  Almighty ;  they  counted  it 
their  portion  to  keep  his  word  ;  they  submit- 
ted themselves  Avith  an  honest  and  sincere 
heart ;  and  God  soon  glorified  himself  in  the 
simplicity  of  their  obedience. 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  197 

Here,  my  dear  children,  there  is  a  solemn 
lesson  for  you ;  I  would  urge  it  on  yom'  care- 
ful and  serious  consideration  for  the  rest  of 
your  earthly  course.  Yes,  you  should  ever, 
and  under  all  circumstances,  hold  as  an 
infernal  device  of  the  old  serpent,  and  as  an 
emanation  from  hell,  the  wicked  and  lying 
suggestion,  that  you  may  continue  in  disobe- 
dience, in  order  to  retain  the  means  and 
opportunity  of  doing  good  to  your  families, 
your  country,  or  the  church  of  God.  Ah ! 
it  is  an  imagination  full  of  pride ;  it  is  a 
presumption  full  of  folly !  Poor  miserable 
creature  !  do  good  without  God  !  Wretched 
sinner,  brand  plucked  from  the  burning  !  "  if 
the  righteous  hardly  be  saved,''  and  if  thou 
canst  have  nothing  that  thou  hast  not  re- 
ceived, thinkest  thou  to  do  good  under  the 
government  of  God,  in  refusing  to  do  what 
is  good  ?  Do  the  will  and  the  power  to  do  it 
come  from  thee  ?  Hast  thou  the  heart  in  thy 
hand?  "Good!"  sayest  thou,  "but  who 
except  God  can  do  good  either  in  thee  or  in 
others;  either  by  thee  or  by  others  ?"  Begin 
by  obeying,  and  then  thou  shalt  see  what  he, 
"  of  whom,  and  by  whom,  and  through 
whom,  are  all  things,"  will  be  pleased  to  do 
with  thee  ;  then  if  it  be  his  will,  he  will  bless 
thy  humble  submission  and  thy  walk  of  faith. 
I  know,  indeed,  that  he  can,  if  he  see  fit, 
bring  good  out  of  thy  negligence  and  thy  re- 
bellions, as  he  did  out  of  the  hypocrisy  of 

17* 


198  THIRTEENTH   LESSON. 

Caiaphas,  the  cowardice  of  Pilate,  and  the 
treachery  of  Judas !  but  then,  wo  unto 
thee!  .... 

Life  eternal,  life  eternal ! 

And  now,  my  dear  children,  see  what  were 
the  blessed  results  of  this  faithfulness  on  the 
part  of  these  tliree  Hebrew  youths,  in  thus 
obeying  the  voice  of  conscience,  and  leaving 
all  consequences  to  the  Lord  of  lords.  It 
was  their  martyrdom  that  led  the  proud 
Nebuchadnezzar,  soon  after,  to  commend 
them  before  all  the  people,  because  they  re- 
fused to  obey  him,  "  trusted  in  God,  and 
changed  the  king's  word,''  ver.  28.  It  was 
their  humble  and  sublime  sincerity  that 
calmed  his  idolatrous  fury,  humbled  his 
pride,  and  prepared  the  way  for  that  won- 
derful conversion  which  was  afterwards  to 
astonish  the  Avorld,  exalt  the  church,  and  give 
joy  to  the  angels  in  heaven.  Thus  did  these 
young  men  do  good ;  "  they  yielded  up  their 
bodies,  that  they  might  not  serve  nor  wor- 
ship any  other  god,  except  their  own  God." 
But  this  is  not  all :  besides  the  excellent 
fruits  which  history  records,  their  faithful- 
ness, no  doubt,  produced  others  still  more 
glorious,  which  eternity  alone  will  reveal  to 
us  in  the  light  of  the  last  day.  How  many 
souls  among  the  Israelites  were  now  led  by 
it  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth  !  How  many 
believers  were  encouraged  and  strengthened  ! 
How  many  of  the  Gentiles  also  were  con- 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       199 

verted  to  the  true  and  living  God  !  A  bright 
hght  shone  for  the  enhghtening  of  the  hea- 
then natives  of  the  east  around  Daniel,  the 
governor  of  Babylon,  and  the  prophet  of  the 
Lord ;  around  his  three  illustrious  friends ; 
and  around  ah  the  Hebrew  people  !  This 
sublime  example,  given  by  the  three  Jewish 
rulers,  doubtless  was  not  lost.  These  were 
days  when  sages  of  all  countries  came  to  the 
east,  to  the  Babylonian  empire,  to  become 
acquainted  with  "  the  unknown  God."  They 
arrived  from  all  quarters  of  the  world  at 
Babylon.  These  were  times  when  such  men 
as  Pythagoras,  and  Anacharsis,  and  Thales, 
and  Anaximander,  and  Solon,  and  it  is  said 
even  Zoroaster  and  Confucius  visited  the 
east.  It  is  evident  that  bright  flashes  and  dear 
illuminations  of  revelation  must  at  this  time 
have  beamed  upon  the  Gentiles.  The  last 
day  will  discover  all  the  Naamans,  the  Ruths, 
the  Lydias,  the  Corneliuses,  whom  the  Lord 
raised  up  during  the  lifetime  of  Daniel  and 
his  friends.  Then  it  shall  be  seen,  that  in 
their  integrity,  their  upright  heart  was  now 
taught  to  choose  the  best  of  portions,  the 
wisest  of  measures,  the  most  salutary  of 
counsels. 


FOURTEENTH    LESSON. 
Daniel  iii.  19 — 25. 

(The  place  of  the  ordinary  catechist  was 
supplied  on  this  occasion  by  one  of  his  col- 
leagues.) 

You  saw  in  the  last  lesson,  my  dear  chil- 
dren, how  it  was  that  the  tliree  young  He- 
brews incurred  the  wrath  and  indignation  of 
king  Nebuchadnezzar.  We  are  told  this 
day,  that  their  answer  had  the  effect  of  ag- 
gravating his  displeasure,  and  filling  him  with 
fiiry.  Something  terrible  is  depicted  in  his 
countenance,  and  in  all  the  features  of  his 
face :  so  do  violent  passions  change  the  ex- 
pression of  the  human  visage.  When  we 
do  evil,  it  is  generally  seen  in  our  looks ; 
when  we  do  good,  it  is  manifested  in  the 
same  way.  When  a  man  is  converted,  his 
whole  aspect  is  altered,  because  the  Spirit  of 
God  dwells  in  his  heart.  His  countenance 
changes  according  to  the  prevailing  state  of 
his  mind.  Sometimes,  it  is  true,  the  expres- 
sion of  the  countenance  is  deceitful,  and  does 
not  afford  an  index  to  what  is  in  the  heart. 
But  this  is  rare,  especially  in  the  case  of 
children.  Deceive  not  yourselves,  therefore, 
my  dear  children,  for  our  Saviour  tells  us, 
200 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       201 

"  there  is  nothing  covered  that  shall  not  be 
revealed,  and  hid  that  shall  not  be  known," 
Mat.  X.  26.  God  knoweth  your  thoughts 
afar  off;  and  men  also  will  discover  them 
from  your  looks. 

Nebuchadnezzar,  filled  with  rage,  com- 
manded the  furnace,  which  was  a  kind  of 
lime-kiln,  to  be  heated  seven  times  m.ore  than 
it  was  wont.  He  reflected  not,  that  by  in- 
creasing the  heat  of  the  fire,  he  was  shorten- 
ing the  duration  of  the  punishment,  and 
abridging  the  sufferings  of  these  young  ser- 
vants of  God.  Thus  the  ungodly  often  do 
the  very  reverse  of  what  they  intended. 
They  imagine  evil,  but  God  turns  it  to  good. 

Then  Nebuchadnezzar  commanded  the 
most  mighty  men  in  his  army  to  cast  the 
worshippers  of  the  true  God  into  the  burn- 
ing fiery  furnace.  It  is  very  remarkable,  yet 
it  is  unquestionably  true,  that  the  children  of 
God,  who  have  chosen  to  worship  him  only, 
have  at  all  times  been  called  to  suffer  afflic- 
tions and  persecutions,  like  these  three  young 
Hebrews.  "  The  time  cometh,"  saith  our 
Lord,  "  that  whosoever  killeth  you,  will  think 
that  he  doeth  God  service." 

Often  have  the  children  of  God  been  treated 
as  common  malefactors,  and  put  to  death  as 
the  worst  of  criminals.  I  shall  mention  one 
or  two  instances  of  the  kind,  as  we  are  upon 
the  subject  of  martyrdoms.  And  first  I  will 
relate  to  you,  my  dear  children,  a  circumstance 


202  FOURTEENTH    LESSON. 

which  happened  a  long  time  ago  in  that  part 
of  France  which  is  now  called  the  department 
of  the  Saone  and  Loire.  You  are  aware  that 
this  is  the  district  where  most  of  the  colpor- 
teurs, employed  by  the  Geneva  Evangelical 
Society,  are  at  work,  and  that  there  are  many 
faithful  ministers  there,  preaching  the  word 
of  life  to  those  who  have  turned  from  dark- 
ness to  light.  The  event  to  which  I  refer 
occurred  nearly  1700  years  ago,  that  is,  a.  d. 
177.  Christianity  had  already  reached  this 
part  of  France  ;  for  some  Christians  having 
come  from  Asia,  ascended  the  Saone  and 
Loire,  and  established  themselves  in  these 
regions,  and  especially  in  the  city  of  Autun, 
which  the  colporteurs  have  visited,  and  where 
there  is  a  Roman  Catholic  bishop,  who  is  very 
much  opposed  to  the  word  of  God.  There 
reigned  at  that  time  at  Rome  an  emperor, 
who,  though  possessed  of  some  good  quali- 
ties, was  yet  a  persecutor  of  the  Christians. 
His  name  was  Marcus  Aurelius.  The  hea- 
then worship  still  prevailed  at  the  city  of 
Autun,  and  it  was  that  of  the  goddess  Cy- 
bele.  She  had  a  large  image  erected  to  her 
honour ;  but  it  was  not  of  gold,  like  that  of 
which  Daniel  speaks.  On  certain  days  this 
inoage  was  shown  through  the  streets,  at- 
tended by  multitudes  of  priests ;  and  all  the 
people  who  met  it  were  obliged  to  bow  down 
before  it,  as  in  the  case  of  that  of  Nebuchad- 
nezzar. 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       203 

While  all  the  people  were  falling  on  their 
knees  before  this  idol,  a  young  man  who 
happened  to  be  in  the  crowd  remained  stand- 
ing. The  multitude  called  out  to  him  to 
kneel,  but  he  would  not;  whereupon  they 
took  and  led  him  before  the  prefect,  who 
asked  him  if  he  was  a  Christian.  The  young 
man,  who  was  called  Symphorian,  answered 
that  he  was,  and,  said  he,  "  I  worship  the 
God  that  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth, 
neither  will  I  worship  your  idol.'^ 

Then  the  governor,  like  Nebuchadnezzar, 
fell  into  a  violent  rage,  and  ordered  his  head 
to  be  cut  off.  The  people  all  assembled  to- 
gether again,  to  accompany  the  young  man 
to  the  place  of  his  execution,  when  suddenly 
a  voice  was  heard :  My  son,  my  son  ;  (it  was 
the  mother  of  Symphorian,)  my  son,  my  son  ! 
may  the  living  God  be  with  thee ;  my  son, 
be  firm — let  us  not  fear  death — let  us  lift  our 
eyes  on  high  to  heaven,  where  our  soul  hath 
its  life. 

You  can  conceive  the  joy  which  this  young 
man  felt  when  he  heard  the  voice  of  his  mo- 
ther. He  was  not,  indeed,  cast  into  a  burn- 
ing fiery  furnace ;  but  he  received  a  stroke 
of  a  sabre,  and  his  head  rolled  on  the  ground ; 
it  was  as  if  he  had  been  thrown  into  the 
burning  furnace. 

At  the  time  of  the  reformation,  also,  there 
were  many  Christians  in  the  department  of 
the  Saone  and  Loire,  and,  as  in  Geneva,  they 


204  FOURTEENTH   LESSON. 

cried,  "  To  the  Rhone,  to  the  Rhone !"  so 
there  they  cried,  "  To  the  Saone  !"  and  they 
threw  them  into  the  river.  Thus,  even  in 
our  own  days,  not  long  since,  in  one  of  the 
cantons  of  Switzerland,  a  man,  who  had 
come  there  to  preach  the  gospel,  was  plunged 
several  times  in  a  pond  of  water,  until  he 
was  nearly  dead. 

This  shows  the  enmity  of  the  heart  against 
God,  which  manifests  itself  in  Switzerland, 
as  it  formerly  did  in  Babylon,  and  in  the  de- 
partment of  the  Saone  and  Loire,  and  as  it 
still  continues  to  do  in  the  latter  place. 

"And  because  the  king's  commandment 
was  urgent,  and  the  furnace  was  exceeding 
hot,  the  flame  of  the  fire  slew  those  men  that 
took  up  Shadrach,  J\Ieshach,and  Abednego." 

Probably  these  soldiers  of  the  king  of 
Babylon  exceeded  their  orders :  and  they 
were  consumed  by  the  fire  which  they  them- 
selves had  kindled.  Thus  they  who  perse- 
cute the  children  of  God  become  victims 
themselves.  Nebuchadnezzar,  who  was  pre- 
sent, saw  those  whom  he  had  sent  to  execute 
his  cruel  edict  perish  by  the  flames. 

Struck  by  this  sight,  he  approached  to  look 
into  the  furnace,  and  instead  of  seeing  three 
men  therein  consumed  to  ashes,  he  beheld 
four  men  walking  about,  in  perfect  compo- 
sure, in  the  midst  of  the  fire.  Three  had 
been  thrown  in,  but  who  was  the  fourth, 
whose  form  is  described  as  like  the  Son  of 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.        S05 

God?  It  was  the  Eternal  Word,  the  only 
Son  of  the  Father,  the  second  person  in  the 
sacred  Trinity,  who  had  already  appeared 
upon  earth,  before  he  was  born  of  the  Virgin 
Maiy.  We  frequently  read  of  manifestations 
of  the  Son  of  God  in  the  Old  Testament.  It 
was  he  who  went  down  into  the  fiunace  to 
deliver  these  poor  youths ;  they  had  put  their 
trust  in  him,  and  he  came  to  their  relief;  and 
now  these  young  men  walk  about  in  the 
midst  of  the  fire ;  they  celebrate  their  deli- 
verer ;  their  hearts  are  full  of  gratitude  and 
love ;  they  enjoy  the  most  perfect  happiness 
in  the  midst  of  this  burning  furnace,  because 
Jesus  Christ  is  with  them. 

Read  the  twenty-third  Psalm  for  me — The 
Shepherd  here  spoken  of  is  Jesus.  When 
any  of  his  children  fall  into  affliction,  or  into 
any  distress,  Jesus  is  with  them,  and  they  find 
peace  and  happiness  in  his  presence.  Thus, 
when  death  has  visited  a  Christian  family, 
and  taken  away  some  one  of  its  most  che- 
rished members,  so  that  there  is  a  great  cry 
of  grief  heard  therein,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
comes  into  the  midst  of  that  family,  as  he  did 
into  the  burning  fiery  furnace,  to  the  three 
pious  young  Israelites.  Vain  are  all  the  con- 
solations of  earthly  friends  :  but  Jesus,  who 
is  present  with  his  mourning  children,  is  the 
true  comforter.  "  Where  two  or  three  arc 
gathered  together  in  my  name,  there  am  I  in 
the  midst  of  them.  Behold,  I  am  with  you 
18 


206  FOURTEENTH  LESSON. 

always,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world." 
Oh !  what  a  happiness  it  is  to  have  Jesus  with 
us !  His  presence  can  change  scenes  of  sor- 
row into  joy  !  I  am  persuaded  that  these 
young  Hebrews  were  never  happier  in  their 
lives  than  at  this  moment.  I  remember,  once, 
to  have  seen  a  poor  woman,  a  member  of 
the  Moravian  church,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Rhine,  who  had  been  confined  to  a  bed  of 
weakness  and  of  suffering  for  the  last  thirty 
years :  she  had  never  left  it  during  that  pe- 
riod, except  on  one  occasion,  when  the 
French,  having  come  into  her  country  with 
an  army,  threw  her  into  a  cart,  and  con- 
veyed her  to  a  distant  village.  And  yet  I 
never  saw  a  person  so  peaceful  and  so  happy. 
And  why  was  this  ?  It  was  because  Jesus 
was  with  her — Jesus  was  in  that  house,  in 
the  chamber  where  she  dwelt,  as,  formerly, 
in  the  furnace :  "  Jesus,"  said  she,  "  is  my 
Saviour ;  Jesus  is  my  Saviour ;"  and  this 
thought  continually  filled  her  mind  with  new 
joy.  Such,  dear  children,  will  be  your  case 
in  those  moments  when  you  pass  through 
great  trials,  if  ye  be  in  Jesus. 

There  was  once  an  old  Christian,  who, 
when  a  child,  had  heard  the  apostle  John 
preach  in  Asia  Minor.  His  name  was  Poly- 
carp.  When  he  had  reached  his  eightieth 
year,  he  was  called  upon  to  deny  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  "  Four-score  years,"  said  he, 
"have  I  served  him,  and  he  never  did  me 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  207 

any  wrong  ;  how  shall  I  now  deny  my  Lord 
and  my  God  ?"  Afterwards  he  was  brought 
to  the  stake,  and  burned  ahve.  When  the 
flame  began  to  reach  him,  he  prayed  to  the 
Lord,  and  said :  "  I  thank  thee,  0  Father, 
that  thou  hast  permitted  me  to  be  one  of  thy 
witnesses,  and  to  drink  of  the  cup  of  thy 
Chiist."  And  the  Christians  who  stood  by 
weeping,  heard  these  words. 

Why  was  Poly  carp  joyful  in  the  midst  of 
the  flames  ?     Jesus  Christ  was  with  him. 

In  the  city  of  Prague,  in  Bohemia,  where 
there  were  many  priests  who  did  not  preach 
the  truth,  there  once  lived  a  Christian  preacher 
named  John  Huss.  Some  rich  layman  built 
a  church  like  this,  and  called  it  Bethlehem ; 
and  John  Huss  who  was  a  priest  himself, 
preached  the  word  of  God  in  it.  The  priests 
were  greatly  enraged  against  him ;  he  was 
seized  and  carried  away  to  Constance,  in  the 
eastern  part  of  Switzerland,  where  there  was 
at  the  time  a  great  assembly,  or  council  of  all 
the  heads  of  the  Christian  church.  Huss 
refused  to  retract  what  he  had  preached. 
They  caused  him  to  be  invested  with  the 
sacerdotal  robes,  and  put  a  cup  into  his  hand ; 
his  robes  were  then  taken  off"  him,  and  the 
cup  torn  out  of  his  hand,  to  intimate  that  he 
was  deprived  of  his  office  as  a  priest.  Upon 
this  he  said :  "  I  place  all  my  confidence  in 
my  God  and  Saviour,  and  I  know  I  shall 
this  day  drink  the  cup  of  salvation  in  heaven." 


^08  FOURTEENTH    LESSON. 

Next,  a  paper  cap  was  placed  on  his  head, 
with  the  word  "  Heresiarch,^^  chief  of  here- 
tics, written  upon  it.  "  My  Saviour  and  my 
God,"  said  he,  "  has  worn  for  me  a  crown 
of  thorns ;  why  should  I  not  endure  for  him 
this  reproach?"  Then  rushing  upon  him, 
they  bore  him  to  the  stake,  and  while  the 
flames  were  surrounding  him,  they  heard  him 
singing  hymns.  Once  when  the  flames  per- 
mitted them  to  get  a  glimpse  of  him,  they 
saw  his  lips  move ;  he  was  praying  ;  Christ 
was  with  him,  as  he  had  been  with  the  three 
young  men  in  the  furnace,  and  he  was  happy 
to  go  to  his  Saviour  and  his  God. 

I  will  only  mention  one  instance  more, 
which  happened  somewhat  later,  at  the  pe- 
riod of  the  reformation,  when  Martin  Luther 
had  already  appeared  in  Germany,  and  Farel 
in  France.  In  the  city  of  Brussels,  the  capi- 
tal of  Belgium,  where  the  reformed  Chris- 
tians were  first  put  to  death,  three  young 
men,  Augustinian  monks,  had  received  the 
word  of  God  into  their  hearts.  There  was  a 
great  deal  of  hostility  and  persecution  in  that 
country,  against  those  who  embraced  the 
gospel  in  its  purity :  and  these  three  young 
men  were  brought  before  the  magistrates, 
who  commanded  them  to  renounce  Jesus 
Christ,  and  to  worship  saints.  On  their  refus- 
ing, they  were  dragged  into  the  market-place 
to  be  burned  at  the  stake ;  and  the  moment 
the  faggots  were  set  on  fire,  they  exclaimed, 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  ^00 

"  Lord  Jesus,  thou  Son  of  David,  have  mercy 
on  us.  '^  The  first  thing  that  was  burned 
was  their  bonds,  and  did  they  avail  them- 
selves of  this  to  run  away  ? No,  though 

they  found  themselves  at  liberty,  they  did 
not  attempt  to  escape  ;  but  taking  one  an- 
other by  the  hand,  they  knelt  down,  and  lift- 
ing up  their  hands  thus  joined  together,  to 
heaven,  they  cried  with  one  voice :  "  Jesus, 
thou  Son  of  David,  have  mercy  on  us !"  • 
And  the  flames  and  smoke  suflbcated  them. 
Why  had  these  young  men  such  courage? 
Because  Jesus  Christ  was  with  them,  as  he 
had  been  with  the  young  Hebrews  of  whom 
the  prophet  speaks. 

And  now,  my  dear  children,  I  have  some- 
thing to  say  to  you,  to  which  I  entreat  you 
to  pay  the  most  serious  attention.  You  shall 
all  have  to  pass,  one  time  or  other,  through 
a  furnace  much  more  terrible  than  that  into 
which  the  three  young  Hebrews  were  cast ; 
I  say  not  merely  some,  but  all  of  you.  This 
furnace  is  the  world.  And  to  show  you  that 
this  is  no  exaggeration,  I  will  read  to  you 
what  St.  John  says  of  it :  "  The  whole  world," 
saith  he,  ''lieth  in  wickedness,'^  1  John  v.  19. 
In  a  certain  sense  you  are  already  in  the 
world,  but  hereafter  you  shall  be  in  it  in  a 
more  perilous  manner.  Read  1  Pet.  v.  8. 
"The  devil,  as  a  roaring  lion,  goeth  about 
seeking  whom  he  may  devour;"  and  1  Cor. 
XV.  33.  "  Evil  communications  corrupt  good 
IS* 


210  FOURTEENTH    LESSON. 

manners."  "  Behold/'  saith  onr  Lord,  "  1 
send  3^ou  forth  as  sheep  in  the  midst  of 
wolves,"  Matt.  x.  16.  The  world  is  like  a 
place  where  there  are  wolves ;  and  what  do 
they  devour  ?  lambs ;  and  ye  are  the  lambs. 
The  world !  that,  as  I  have  already  said,  is 
the  furnace  which  you  are  called  to  enter, 
and  I  repeat,  it  is  more  terrible  than  the  fur- 
nace of  Nebuchadnezzar,  for  that  only  killed 
the  body,  but  this  endangers  the  eternal  hap- 
piness of  the  soul. 

To  continue  faithful  in  this  furnace,  you 
have  need  of  two  things.  First,  you  must 
be  born  of  God.  "  Whosoever  is  born  of 
God  overcometh  the  world,"  that  is,  he  is  not 
lost.  You  have  been  born  of  man,  but  there 
is  a  birth  of  God,  and  it  is  a  conversion  of 
the  heart.  If  you  enter  into  the  furnace  of 
the  world  without  this  new  birth,  alas !  it 
will  consume  you,  it  will  burn  up  all  the  in- 
structions which  you  have  received,  and 
moreover  it  will  bring  your  souls  mto  the 
eternal  fire  of  hell. 

The  second  thing  necessary  to  escape  the 
furnace  of  the  world,  is  faith  in  Christ.  This 
will  preserve  you,  like  the  three  young  He- 
brews, in  the  furnace  of  this  world  and  from 
that  of  the  world  to  come. 

Come,  then,  to  Christ  Jesus,  come  to  the 
Saviour,  come  to  the  Son  of  God,  who  went 
down  to  his  servants  in  the  fiery  furnace. 
You  see  he  is  not  difficult  of  access,  since  he 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       211 

himself  approaches  the  young  who  have  need 
of  him.  May  you  find  him  at  the  outset  of 
hfe  ;  tlien  the  wicked  one  shall  not  touch  you 
while  you  are  passing  through  this  world; 
and  one  day,  you  shall  be  received  mto  ever- 
lasting habitations. 


FIFTEENTH    LESSON. 
Daniel  iii.  26 — 30  ;  iv.  1 — 8. 

Dear  children,  last  Sunday,  as  I  am  in- 
formed, you  left  the  three  young  Hebrews  in 
the  burning  fiery  furnace.  I  shall,  therefore, 
say  a  few  words  more  on  their  deliverance. 
But  our  attention  shall  be  principally  di- 
rected, on  the  present  occasion,  to  a  wonder- 
ful account  of  a  wonderful  conversion ;  that 
of  a  heathen  conqueror,  an  emperor,  the 
destroyer  of  Jerusalem,  the  temble  Nebu- 
chadnezzar ! 

I  say  not  merely  "a  wonderful  conver- 
sion," but  "  a  wonderful  account  of  a  won- 
derful conversion;"  for  if  this  event  is  full  of 
the  most  intense  interest,  it  is  rendered  much 
more  affecting  and  instructive,  by  the  fact, 
that  the  account  of  it  is  given  by  Nebuchad- 
nezzar himself  Yes,  it  is  he  himself,  who 
relates  it  to  all  the  people  and  nations  of  his 
empire,  in  that  subhme  decree, shall  I  call  it? 
or  in  that  humble  and  touching  confession, 
the  first  eight  verses  of  which  you  have  just 
read. 

Behold  this  great  mighty  monarch  !  he  has 
just  recovered  from  a  dreadful  malady ;  and 
what  was  that  malady  ?     He  had  been  out 

212 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       213 

of  his  mind.  For  seven  years  deprived  of 
his  reason  like  a  beast  of  the  field,  he  had 
eaten  grass  as  an  ox ;  he  had  suffered  his 
beard  and  his  hair  to  grow  like  the  feathers 
of  an  eagle,  and  his  nails  like  the  claws  of  a 
bird.  But  at  the  end  of  seven  years,  his  rea- 
son returns,  and  immediately,  being  re-esta- 
blished on  his  throne,  he  resolves  to  make  a 
public  acknowledgment  of  his  gratitude,  and 
to  proclaim  the  praises  of  the  Lord  his  God, 
humbling  himself  in  the  dust  before  him,  in 
the  sight  of  all  the  people  of  his  kingdom. 

"  I  thought  it  good,"  saith  he,  "  to  show 
the  signs  and  wonders  that  the  Most  High 
hath  wrought  towards  me  !  How  great  are 
his  signs !  how  mighty  are  his  wonders  ! 
Now  I,  Nebuchadnezzar,  praise,  and  extol, 
and  honour  the  King  of  heaven,  all  whose 
works  are  truth,  and  his  ways  judgment ;  and 
those  that  walk  in  pride  he  is  able  to  abase." 

Indeed,  there  are  few  passages  in  Scrip- 
tm'e  more  affecting  than  the  account  which 
this  proud  conqueror  gives  himself,  to  all  the 
people  and  nations  over  whom  he  ruled,  of 
his  pride  and  of  the  righteous  judgment  of 
God,  of  his  humiliation,  his  loss  of  reason, 
his  degradation  to  the  condition  of  a  brute, 
and  subsequently  his  restoration  and  his 
adoring  gratitude.  On  the  one  hand,  how 
forcibly  does  he  preach  to  us  of  the  power 
and  mercy  of  God !  and  on  the  other,  how 
strikingly  does  he  show  us  what  integrity 


214  riFTEENTH    LESSON 

and  humility,  faith  is  capable  of  teaching  to 
the  proudest  and  most  impetuous  nations ! 
But,  before  we  speak  of  the  conversion  of 
the  king  of  Babylon,  let  us  see  that  we  un- 
derstand the  meaning  of  that  word. 

"  Conversion,'^  in  its  original  meaning, 
signifies  a  "  turning ;"  and,  in  its  scriptural 
application,  it  implies  that  operation  whereby 
a  man  whose  affections  and  hopes  tended  to- 
wards this  earth,  this  world  and  sin,  is  led  to 
turn  them  back  towards  God,  heaven,  and 
holiness. 

Now,  my  dear  children,  according  to  the 
Bible,  not  merely  the  heathen  have  need  of 
such  a  conversion,  but  all  men,  Avithout  ex- 
ception, from  the  feeble  old  man  who  totters 
on  the  brink  of  the  grave,  to  the  tender  in- 
fant that  has  scarcely  learned  to  walk.  All, 
at  their  birth,  bring  into  the  world  a  heart 
without  the  love  of  God,  selfish  affections, 
iiTegular  desires,  sinful  passions ;  so  that  to 
enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  they  must  be 
enabled,  before  death,  to  turn  to  their  Crea- 
tor, and  to  say  to  him  with  sincerity,  "  Here 
I  am.  Lord ;  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do  ? 
0  my  God,  I  love  thee,  I  long  after  thee;  do 
with  me  what  seemeth  thee  good.  I  have 
considered  my  ways ;  I  have  entered  upon 
the  path  of  thy  commandments ;  I  desire  to 
do  thy  will,  0  my  God  !  thy  favour  now  is 
better  than  life  to  me  !"  This  is  conversion. 

This  happy  change,  the  scriptm'es  tell  us, 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.        215 

is  the  work  of  the  power  of  God  in  the  heart 
of  man ;  and  it  is  by  his  Spirit,  and  tlirongh 
the  instrumentaUty  of  faith  that  he  effects  it. 
Ah !  when  the  sinner  is  enabled  to  beUeve, 
on  the  authority  of  God's  word,  that  he  is 
the  object  of  God's  love,  that  he  is  saved  by 
grace,  washed  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  that 
"  his  transgressions  are  forgiven  and  his  sins 
covered,"  Psal.  xxxii.,  it  is  then  he  turns  to 
the  Lord,  thirsts  after  the  living  God,  and  ex- 
periences that  "  old  things  have  passed  away, 
and  all  things  become  new,"  2  Cor.  v.  17. 
What  keeps  the  sinner  away  from  God  is, 
that  he  feels  he  is  a  sinner;  and  because  of 
his  sinfulness,  he  shuns  the  thought  of  God, 
like  Adam  after  his  fall,  when  he  hid  himself 
among  the  trees  of  the  garden.  He  says  to 
God  in  secret,  like  Simon  Peter,  "  Depart 
from  me,  0  Lord,  for  I  am  a  sinful  man !" 
his  faith  is  the  faith  of  devils ;  he  believes  in 
God,  and  trembles.  But  if  he  knew  God  as 
a  Saviour,  his  faith  would  be  that  of  a  Chris- 
tian, and  he  would  love  much,  because  much 
had  been  forgiven  him. 

Now,  in  the  Bible  this  change  is  called 
conversion,  a  new  birth,  regeneration,  a  being 
born  from  above.  "  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto 
thee,  except  a  man  be  born  again,  (or  from 
above,)  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God," 
John  iii.  3.  And  we  have  this  day  to  speak 
of  the  conversion  of  Nebuchadnezzar. 


216  FIFTEENTH    LESSON. 

Yes,  there  was  a  moment  when  God,  by 
his  Spirit,  drew  to  himself  and  towards  hea- 
ven the  heart  of  this  idolatrous  monarch,  be- 
fore so  proud  and  so  carnal.  But  to  dispose 
him  to  seek  his  happiness  and  his  life  on  high, 
He  employed  toward  him  three  successive 
dispensations. 

1.  He  gave  him  to  witness  great  and  asto- 
nishing miracles. 

2.  By  the  admirable  example  of  his  faith- 
ful servants,  and  especially  by  the  martyr- 
dom of  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abednego, 
he  made  an  impression  upon  his  conscience. 

3.  He  brought  him  down  by  severe  humi- 
liations, and  caused  him  to  pass  through  the 
sufferings  of  life,  and  the  furnace  of  affliction. 

You  saw,  last  Sunday,  the  courage  with 
which  the  young  Hebrews  suffered  them- 
selves to  be  cast  into  the  fiery  furnace;  that 
they  chose  the  fire  of  the  furnace,  rather  than 
the  displeasure  of  God,  and  feared  him  who 
was  able  to  destroy  their  bodies,  much  less 
than  him  who  had  power  to  destroy  both 
soul  and  body  in  hell.  To-day  you  are  called 
to  witness  the  admirable  fruits  of  their  faith- 
fulness, and  the  impression  which  it  made 
upon  their  persecutor ;  and  you  will  see  that 
after  he  had  been  afflicted  by  the  Almighty 
with  temporary  insanity,  and  had  recovered 
from  this  humiliating  calamity,  he  turned 
with  a  sincere  and  grateful  heart  unto  the 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  217 

Lord,  remembering,  no  doubt,  with  thank- 
fulness, the  example  which  the  young  Israel- 
ites had  given  him.  You  have  seen  these 
young  believers  in  the  fire ;  now  see  how 
they  come  out  of  it. 

The  fm'nace  had  been  heated  seven  times 
more  than  it  was  wont ;  and  the  most  mighty 
men  in  the  army  of  the  king  were  com- 
manded to  throw  the  young  Hebrew  govern- 
ors into  it.  They  are  seized ;  not  a  moment 
is  allowed  them  for  meditation ;  they  are  not 
even  divested  of  their  court  dress  which  they 
had  on ;  time  only  is  given  to  bind  them ; 
they  are  cast  into  the  furnace,  with  their 
coats  and  their  hosen,  their  hats,  and  their 
other  garments ;  and  such  is  the  violence  of 
the  flame,  and  the  "urgency  of  the  king's 
command,"  that  the  officers  who  took  them 
up  to  cast  them  in, fell  dead  in  the  execution 
of  their  task. 

But  soon  you  know  what  was  seen  !  Four 
men  appeared  walking  in  the  midst  of  the 
fire,  as  in  a  shady  arbour,  and  they  had  no 
hurt ;  their  bonds  only  were  burned  ! ! 

And  then  mark  the  feelings  of  the  king. 
He   is   astonished ;    he  can  no  longer  hold 

back "  Behold,"  exclaims  he,  "Lsee  four 

men  loose,  walking  in  the  midst  of  the  fire, 
and  the  form  of  the  fourth  is  like  the  Son  of 
God."  Then  he  came  nearer  to  the  mouth 
of  the  burning  fiery  furnace,  and  spake  and 
said,  "  Shadrach,  Sleshach,  and  Abednego, 

19 


218  FIFTEENTH   LESSON. 

ye  servants  of  the  Most  High  God,  come 
forth,  and  come  hither/^ 

He  now  acknowledges  that  there  is  a  sove- 
reign God  who  reigns  above,  and  before 
whom  his  royal  majesty  is  as  nothing.  And 
when  he  sees  these  three  young  men  come 
miinjnred  out  of  the  fiery  furnace,  hear  how 
he  praises  the  God  of'  their  deliverance : 
"  Blessed  be  the  God  of  Shadrach,  Meshach, 
and  Abednego,  who  sent  his  angel,  and  de- 
livered his  servants."  At  the  same  time  hear 
how  Avarmly  and  how  nobly  the  great  mon- 
arch commends  these  young  men  for  having 
resisted  his  commands,  "  changed  the  king's 
word,"  and  chosen  to  obev  God  rather  than 
man.  "Blessed  be  the  God  of  Shadrach, 
Meshach,  and  Ab°dnego,  who  hath  sent  his 
angel,  and  delivered  his  servants  that  trusted 
in  him,  and  have  changed  the  king's  word, 
and  yielded  their  bodies^  that  they  might  not 
serve  nor  worship  any  god  except  their  own 
God." 

"  Them  that  honour  me,"  saith  the  Lord, 
"  I  will  honour,  and  they  that  despise  me 
shall  be  Hghtly  esteemed." 

Now  hear  again  the  decree  which  the  king 
of  Babylon  published.  "  Therefore  I  make 
a  decree  that  every  people,  nation  and  lan- 
guage, which  speak  anything  amiss  against 
the  God  of  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed- 
nego, shall  be  cut  in  pieces,  and  their  houses 
shall  be  made  a  dunghill :    because  there  is 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  219 

no  other  God  that  can  dehver  after  this  sort. 
Then  the  kmg  promoted  Shadrach,  Meshach, 
and  Ahednego,  m  the  provmee  of  Babylon." 
Thus  you  see,  dear  children,  the  faithful- 
ness of  these  young  Hebrews,  far  from  en- 
dangering the  cause  of  their  religion  in  Baby- 
lon, only  had  the  effect  of  extending  its 
influence,  and  surrounding  it  with  a  brighter 
lustre.  And  thus  did  God,  who  doubtless 
purposed  to  bring  many  souls  to  salvation, 
during  the  captivity  of  his  people,  accom- 
plish the  conversion  of  this  powerful  prince, 
who  was  at  that  time  called  the  scourge  of 
the  Almighty,  and  the  master  of  the  world. 
He  had,  it  is  true,  aheady  expressed  a  great 
veneration  for  the  God  of  Daniel,  when  that 
prophet  revealed  to  him  his  miraculous  dream; 
but  his  subsequent  victories,  the  vastness  of 
his  empire,  and  his  extraordinary  success, 
seem  to  have  completely  turned  his  head, 
insomuch  that  he  looked  upon  himself  as  a 
kind  of  demi-god,  and  even  cast  into  a  fiery 
furnace  those  who  refused  to  acknowledge 
his  fancied  divinity.  But  when  he  saw  that 
they  gave  up  their  bodies,  rather  than  serve 
any  God  but  their  own  God,  and  that  a  hea- 
venly messenger,  "  one  like  unto  the  Son  of 
God,"  was  sent  to  secure  them  from  the  in- 
fluence of  the  fire,  and  deliver  them  unhurt 
from  the  flames ;  then  he  acknowledged  the 
sovereignty  of  God,  and  commended  them 
for  disobeying  him,  that  they  might  obey  that 


220  FIFTEENTH    LESSON. 

mighty  being ;  and  forbade,  on  pain  of  death, 
that  any  of  his  subjects  should  speak  against 
them.  "  There  is  no  other  God,"  said  he, 
"  that  can  deliver  after  this  sort." 

Such  were  the  consequences  of  the  faith- 
fulness of  the  three  Israelites  to  Nebuchad- 
nezzar. He  was  convinced  that  the  invisi- 
ble Being  who  had  inspired  them  with  such 
exalted  sentiments,  and  wrought  for  them 
such  a  deliverance,  could  be  no  other  than 
the  true  God ;  he  acknowledged  him  before 
all  his  people,  and  even  published  a  decree 
requiring  them  to  give  him  glory. 

But  shall  we  infer  from  this,  that  Nebu- 
chadnezzar was  converted?  Oh  no,  my 
friends,  far  from  it ! 

Convinced  and  converted  are  two  very 
different  things.  Conviction  is  not  faith; 
conviction  is  only  conversion  of  the  under- 
standing, while  real  conversion  is  conversion 
of  the  will.  To  believe  that  the  Bible  is  di- 
vine is  not  enough  ;  it  is  not  faith.  To  be- 
lieve in  the  book  when  it  is  closed,  is  not 
faith  ;  we  must  believe  in  it  when  it  is  open. 
We  may  believe  that  Daniel  was  a  prophet 
of  the  Lord,  yet  this  will  not  suffice ;  we 
must  believe  all  that  the  prophet  has  declared. 
This  is  faith — and  for  this,  Ave  must  believe 
that  by  nature  we  are  fallen,  corrupt,  and 
ruined ;  that  we  are  exposed  to  eternal  per- 
dition, because  the  wages  of  sin  is  death, 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  221 

everlasting  death.  We  must  believe  that 
"  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his 
only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth 
in  him  might  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting 
life ;"  we  must  receive  this  truth  into  our 
hearts  as  a  reality ;  we  must  feed  upon  it, 
and  live  upon  it.  Now  Nebuchadnezzar,  as 
we  shall  see  hereafter,  had  not  yet  reached  this 
point ;  his  heart  was  still  proud,  selfish,  carnal 
and  earthly ;  he  was  all  for  the  glory  which 
comes  from  men ;  careless  about  that  which 
cometh  from  God.  "  How  can  ye  believe," 
saith  our  Lord,  "  who  receive  honour  one  of 
another,  and  seek  not  the  honour  that  cometh 
from  God  !"  What,  therefore,  had  he  need 
of  ?     Humiliation. 

Let  us  see  then  how  God  proceeds  to  deal 
with  him.  He  takes  away  from  him  his 
power,  his  might,  his  glory,  his  kingdom,  yea, 
his  very  reason ;  he  afflicts  him  with  mad- 
ness. Yes,  Nebuchadnezzar,  the  conqueror 
of  the  world,  the  king  of  kings,  the  head  of 
gold,  is  reduced  to  the  condition  of  a  beast  of 
the  field,  and  doomed  to  eat  grass  like  an  ox ! 
Nor  is  it  until  after  seven  years,  that  he  re- 
covers his  reason  again. 

But  then,  what  an  awakening  !  Oh  * 
what  a  moment  must  that  have  been,  when 
at  length  his  eyes  were  opened.  He  contem- 
plates himself ;  he  finds  himself  in  close  con- 
finement;   none  are  allowed   to    approach 

19* 


222  FIFTEENTH    LESSON. 

him ;  he  surveys  his  person,  he  is  hideous  ; 
his  hair  and  his  nails  have  grown  hke  those 
of  a  brute,  he  has  eaten  grass  as  an  ox  ;  he 
reflects  on  the  past.  "  0  my  God,"  he  ex- 
claimed, "  I  have  been  mad  !"  But  now 
behold  him  in  that  state  to  which  God  desired 
to  bring  him,  humbled,  self-abased,  trembling 
at  his  word,  sending  for  the  prophet  of  the 
Lord,  and  receiving  at  his  lips,  words  of  sal- 
vation and  of  peace. 

And  perhaps,  my  friends,  there  are  some 
in  this  place,  Avho  have  passed  through  simi- 
lar ways.  Long  did  they  say,  like  Nebu- 
chadnezzar, "  God  is  the  true  God ;  his  word 
is  true  ;  he  only  is  able  to  deliver.'^  But  this 
conviction  had  no  vitality  in  their  hearts,  they 
did  not  feel  it  as  a  reality.  They  were  with- 
out a  real,  living  faith,  and  God  might  have 
said  to  them,  "how  can  ye  believe  who  re- 
ceive honom  one  of  another,  and  seek  not 
the  honour  which  cometh  from  above  ?'' 

They  sought  the  favour,  the  approbation 
of  men ;  their  treasure  was  on  earth  ;  they 
desired,  perhaps,  the  favour  of  God,  but  it 
was  in  a  secondary  degree ;  their  portion  was 
in  this  world,  their  happiness  in  the  things  of 
time,  and  not  in  the  assurance  of  their  accep- 
tance with  God.  But  how  did  the  Lord  deal 
with  them?  From  one,  he  took  away  his 
health,  and  laid  him  on  a  bed  of  sickness, 
thus  saying  to  him :  "  My  son,  now  give  me 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.        223 

thine  heart !"  Another  he  deprived  of  his 
fortune,  saying  to  him :  "  My  son,  set  thine 
affections  on  tilings  above,  for  in  heaven  thou 
hast  a  better  and  more  enduring  substance." 
Anotlier  he  bereft  of  a  wife,  a  husband,  a 
son,  or  a  daughter.  Ah  !  and  the  child  of 
sorrow  exclaimed,  henceforth  this  world  is  a 
grave-yard  to  me ;  I  am  a  stranger  and  a 
pilgrim  upon  earth ;  I  shall  go  mourning  all 
the  days  of  my  life  !  Yes,  my  child,  thou 
art  indeed  a  stranger  and  a  pilgrim ;  but  seek 
thy  better  country  ;  come  to  thy  Saviour ;  he 
is  the  resurrection  and  the  life  ;  he  will  com- 
fort thee,  and  wipe  away  all  tears  from  thine 
eyes. 

Such  are  God's  ways  with  his  children. 

The  miracles  which  he  had  witnessed,  did 
not  change  the  heart  of  the  king  of  Babylon. 
For  this,  something  more  is  required  than 
miracles ;  the  word  of  faith  is  necessary. 
"  If  they  believe  not  Moses  and  the  pro- 
phets,'' saith  our  Lord,  "  neither  will  they  be 
persuaded  though  one  rose  from  the  dead." 
There  is  need,  therefore,  of  the  word  of  God. 
To  this  Nebuchadnezzar  had  been  inatten- 
tive at  first ;  he  believed  it  vaguely ;  he  did 
not  receive  its  testimony  ;  but  now  that  he  is 
humbled, hear  his  language  ! 

"  Nebuchadnezzar  the  king,  unto  all  peo- 
ple, nations,  and  languages  that  dwell  in  all 
the  earth,  peace  be  multiplied." 


224  FIFTEENTH    LESSON. 

What  simplicity  !  It  is  no  longer  the  king 
of  kings,  the  demi-god,  the  lord  of  kingdoms, 
no ;  it  is  the  king  to  his  people. 

And  what  is  his  demand  touching  his  peo- 
ple ?  Not  now  that  they  should  worship 
him,  no  ;  but  that  "  peace  might  be  multi- 
plied to  them."  He  has  found  that  peace  in 
God,  who  alone  can  give  it, "  because  he  only 
can  deliver ;"  and  he  desires  that  all  his  sub- 
jects likewise  may  receive  it. 

"  I  thought  it  good  to  show  the  signs  and 
wonder  that  the  Most  High  God  wrought 
toward  me." 

Yes,  he  feels  it  a  duty ;  he  feels  called  upon 
to  humble  himself;  he  is  desirous  to  give 
glory  to  the  God  of  his  mercies  before  all 
people ;  and  to  show  them  the  way  of  salva- 
tion. But  hear  his  decree.  He  cannot  begin 
without  an  expression  of  gratitude  ;  he  stops 
to  exclaim,  "  How  great  are  his  signs  !  and 
how  mighty  are  his  wonders  !  his  kingdom 
is  an  everlasting  kingdom,  and  his  dominion 
from  generation  to  generation."  The  Chris- 
tian feels  the  same  necessity. 

But  the  king  of  Babylon,  in  his  decree, 
before  he  tells  the  people  of  the  mental  de- 
rangement under  which  he  had  laboured  for 
seven  years,  informs  them  of  the  miraculous 
revelations  by  which  the  God  of  heaven, 
twelve  months  before,  had  warned  him  of  it, 
as  a  just  punishment  for  his  pride.     "  I,  Ne- 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  225 

buchadnezzar,  was  at  rest  in  mine  house  and 
flourishing  in  my  palace  :  I  saw  a  dream 
which  made  me  afraid,  and  the  thouglits 
upon  my  bed,  and  the  visions  of  my  head, 
troubled  me,"  verses  4,  5. 

In  oiir  next,  God  willing,  we  shall  see  the 
sequel. 


SIXTEENTH    LESSON. 

Daniel  iv.  9 — 26. 

You  remember  where  we  are  at  present ; 
the  speaker  here  is  Nebuchadnezzar ;  we 
have  here  a  proclamation,  which,  issuing 
from  his  royal  palace  on  the  banks  of  the 
Euphrates,  echoes  through  all  the  nations  of 
his  immense  empire. 

Now  this  decree  of  the  king  of  Babylon, 
Daniel  was  inspired  by  God  to  hand  down  to 
us  in  the  pages  of  revelation.  In  like  man- 
ner, the  Holy  Ghost  caused  to  be  inscribed  in 
the  same  divine  volume,  the  speeches  of  Job's 
friends,  the  words  of  Jethro,  the  decree  of 
the  Persian  king,  and  subsequently,  the  words 
of  Pilate  and  Felix,  the  letter  of  Claudius 
Lysias  to  the  governor  Felix,  yea,  and  even 
the  words  of  the  Devil  to  our  Lord !  But 
all  these  things,  when  once  in  the  bible,  are 
a  part  of  the  word  of  God ;  that  is  to  say,  he 
is  the  recorder  of  them,  as  much  as  if  he 
spoke  them  to  us  with  his  ov/n  mouth  from 
heaven,  amid  hghtnings,  and  earthquakes, 
and  tempest. 

"  All  scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of 
God.^' 

If  we  could  devote  more  time  to  the  study 
226 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       227 

of  Daniel,  I  would  wish,  as  we  proceed  in 
the  history  of  his  life,  to  read  to  you  the  pro- 
phecies which  Ezekiel  and  Jeremiah  pub- 
lished during  the  same  period,  the  one  in 
Chaldea  by  the  river  Chebar,  the  other,  first 
in  Jerusalem,  and  afterwards  in  Egypt. 

I  would  notice  the  events  which  passed  in 
the  history  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  between  the 
deliverance  of  the  three  Hebrew  youths,  re- 
corded in  the  third  chapter,  and  what  is  related 
in  the  chapter  now  under  our  consideration. 

I  would  show  you  this  great  commander 
following  a  career  of  the  most  brilliant  suc- 
cesses, burning  Jerusalem,  destroying  the 
mighty  Nineveh,  and  making  himself  master 
of  Tyre,  after  a  siege  of  thirteen  years.  1 
would  then  read  to  you  what  Ezekiel  has 
written  in  his  thirtieth  chapter,  seventeen 
years  before  he  had  predicted  the  ruin  of  all 
these  nations,  and  of  the  powerful  Egypt ; 
and  finally,  how  he  had  declared  that  in  the 
twenty-seventh  year  of  the  reign  of  Nebu- 
chadnezzar, on  the  first  day  of  the  month, 
the  Avord  of  the  Lord  came  unto  him  saying  : 
"  SoQ  of  man,  Nebuchadnezzar,  king  of  Ba- 
bylon, caused  his  army  to  serve  a  great  ser- 
vice against  Tyrus,  yet  had  he  no  wages,  nor 
his  army  from  Tyrus,  for  the  service  that  he 
had  served  against  it.  Therefore,  thus  saith 
the  Lord  God,  Behold  I  will  give  the  land 
of  Egypt  unto  Nebuchadnezzar,  king  of  Ba- 
bylon 5  and  he  shall  take  her  multitude,  and 


228  SIXTEENTH  LESSON.      -^ 

take  her  spoil,  and  take  her  prey,  and  it  shall 
be  wages  for  his  army,"  Ezek.  xxix.  18 — 20. 
"  I  will  make  the  land  waste — I  will  also  de- 
stroy the  idols and  there  shall  no  more  be 

a  prince  of  the  land  of  Egypt,'^  xxx.  12, 13 — 
Comp.  xxix.  14,  15.  I  would  then  show 
how  wonderfully  all  this  has  been  accom- 
plished, during  a  series  of  ages ;  that  since 
the  time  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  that  is  for  2440 
years,  Egypt,  formerly  one  of  the  chief  of 
kingdoms,  has  been  the  basest  and  has  never 
ceased  to  belong  to  strangers,  viz.  the  Per- 
sians, the  Greeks,  the  Romans,  the  Saracens, 
the  Turks,  the  Mamelukes,  the  French,  and 
the  Arabs,  and  that  it  never  has  had  either 
kings,  or  governors,  or  princes  of  its  own 
land;  thus  remarkably  fulfilling  the  words 
of  the  prophet :  '•  They  shall  be  a  base  king- 
dom   the  basest  of  kingdoms.      They 

shall  no  more  rule  over  the  nations,"  Ezek. 
xxix.  14—16. 

But  let  us  go  on  with  our  history.  Nebu- 
chadnezzar, as  we  have  seen,  twenty-five 
years  after  his  vision  of  the  image,  had  re- 
turned from  Egypt  laden  with  immense  trea- 
sures ;  he  had  beautified  the  city  of  Baby- 
lon, and  made  it  the  most  magnificent  of 
cities.  Intoxicated  with  glory,  he  was  re- 
posing, after  his  long  wars  and  bloody  suc- 
cesses, when  suddenly  his  mind  was  violently 
agitated  by  a  dream  which  filled  him  with 
alarm.     "  I,  Nebuchadnezzar,  was  at  rest  in 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       229 

mine  house,  and  flourishing  in  my  palace  •  I 
saw  a  dream  which  made  me  afraid,  and  the 
thousrhts  upon  my  bed  and  the  visions  of  my 
head  troubled  me." 

You  know  that  in  his  consternation  he  sent 
for  Daniel,  whom  probably  he  had  neglected 
in  the  days  of  his  prosperity.  But,  however 
this  may  be,  after  consulting  in  vain  all  the 
pretended  sages  of  his  empire,  he  related  to 
the  man  of  God  all  that  had  happened  to 
him,  and  asked  him  what  he  was  to  think 
of  it. 

It  Avas  here  we  left  off  last  Sunday.  Let 
us  now  resume  the  explanation  of  our  verses, 
and  we  shall  find  in  them  six  or  seven  points 
which  deserve  our  attention. 

1.  We  have  the  king's  address  to  Daniel, 
ver.  9. 

2.  We  have  his  account  of  what  he  had 
seen,  ver.  10. 

3.  We  have  his  account  of  what  he  had 
heard,  verses  13 — 15. 

4.  The  angePs  interpretation,  ver.  16. 

5.  The  confirmation  of  the  angePs  sen- 
tence, ver.  17. 

6.  The  king's  demand  to  Daniel,  and  the 
violent  perturbation  of  the  prophet,  ver.  IS, 
19.  For  an  hour  he  remains  silent  and  mo- 
tionless ;  he  is  troubled,  confounded,  and  un- 
able to  answer. 

7.  The  terrible  answer  of  the  prophet. — 
The  king  encourages  him  :  "  Belteshazzar,  let 

20 


230  SIXTEENTH   LESSON. 

not  the  dream  or  the  interpretation  thereof 
trouble  thee,"  speak  ! — "  My  lord,  the  dream 
be  to  them  that  hate  thee  !  The  tree  which 
thou  sawest  is  thyself!"  Ah!  thou  art  no 
longer  the  head  of  gold  !  Thou  art  that  tree 
stripped  of  its  branches,  torn  up  by  the  roots, 
and  desolate ;  it  is  thou  who  art  to  become 
mad ;  to  lose  the  heart  of  a  man ;  to  sink  to 
the  rank  of  a  brute,  and  to  eat  grass  like  an 
ox  !  thou  who  art  to  be  driven  from  among 
men  for  seven  long  years,  until  thou  givest 
glory  to  the  God  above,  and  acknowledgest 
that  the  heavens  do  rule. 

Let  us  begin  with  verse  9. 

1.  Hear  this  poor  heathen  monarch.  It  is 
but  too  evident  that  he  was  not  converted  at 
the  time  of  this  terrible  dream,  notwithstand- 
ing the  lessons  which  he  had  already  received. 
You  see  how  he  still  chooses  to  call  Daniel 
by  the  name  of  his  god ;  Belteshazzar,  that 
is,  treasure  of  the  god  Bel ;  he  addresses  him 
not  as  a  prophet,  but  as  a  sage,  a  magician  : 
"  Belteshazzar,  master  of  the  magicians." 
He  speaks  of  him  as  having  "  the  spirit  of 
the  holy  gods,"  for  he  believed  that  ihere 
were  good  and  benevolent  as  well  as  cruel 
and  malignant  gods.  How  such  language 
must  have  grieved  Daniel !  On  a  former  oc- 
casion, indeed,  he  had  aclaiowledged  that  the 
God  of  Daniel  was  "  the  God  of  gods,  and 
Lord  of  lords,  and  a  revealer  of  secrets," 
and  he  had  forbidden,  on  pain  of  death,  that 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       231 

any  one  should  speak  against  him ;  but  you 
see  tliat  while  this  unhappy  monarch  was 
happy  in  the  estimation  of  the  world,  and  in 
his  own  estimation ;  while  he  was  in  the  en- 
joyment of  health  and  prosperity,  honoured 
and  adored  of  men,  but  without  the  Holy 
Spirit,  he  heard  the  things  of  God  only  by 
half,  he  gave  not  his  heart  to  them,  he  looked 
down  with  interest  upon  the  religion  of  the 
Jew  Daniel,  from  the  lofty  manner  of  his 
greatness,  as  he  would  look  down  from  the 
terraces  of  his  palace,  or  from  his  hanging 
gardens,  on  the  richly  laden  vessel  floating 
down  the  stream  of  the  Euphrates  to  the 
seas.  He  thought,  like  many  in  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  who  imagine  that  they  may 
believe  in  the  divinity  of  the  Bible,  and  in 
the  supremacy  of  God,  and  yet  worship 
images,  saints,  and  demi-gods,  such  as  the 
Virgin  Mary,  St.  Anthony,  St.  Francis,  St. 
Philomena,  the  angel  Gabriel,  and  Michael 
the  archangel.  Hence  in  Spain,  where  the 
people  have  been  at  war  for  some  years, 
there  are  thousands,  who,  while  like  Nebu- 
chadnezzar, they  admit  Jehovah  to  be  the 
true  God,  yet  imagine  that  the  Virgin  INIary, 
and  even  the  virgin  of  a  certain  place,  our 
lady  of  the  seven  sorrows,  commands  their 
arinies,  and  presides  over  the  province  of 
Navarre ;  that  she  hears  prayers  offered  up 
to  her  in  the  mountains  and  in  the  valleys ; 
that  she  searches  the  heart  and  the  reins ;  and 


232  SIXTEENTH    LESSON. 

that  she  may  be  mvokecl,  as  Bel  was,  by  the 
kmg  of  Babylon,  though  he  is  represented  in 
the  Bible  of  Daniel  as  a  mere  idol,  even  as 
the  scriptm'es  tell  us  nothing  of  the  power  of 
INIary. 

Yea,  even  among  ourselves,  in  Geneva, 
there  are  many  who  resemble  this  Chaldean 
monarch.  They  believe,  indeed,  that  the 
prophets  and  apostles  were  from  God,  but 
they  do  not  concern  themselves  to  know 
what  they  taught;  they  do  not  study  the 
Bible,  but  defer  the  consideration  of  it  to 
some  more  convenient  season,  and  in  the 
meantime  entertain  the  most  pernicious  er- 
rors. They  imagine,  for  example,  that  they 
are  to  be  saved  by  their  works,  or  rather  by 
their  sins ;  for  where  is  the  man  that  sinneth 
not  ?  Have  they  not  committed  ten  thousand 
times  more  sins  than  Adam?  and  yet  he  was 
driven  from  paradise.  They  believe  Jesus 
Christ  only  to  be  a  creature,  and  yet  they 
call  him  Saviour ;  as  if  a  creature  could  save 
them,  could  dwell  in  them,  and  they  in  him  ! 
They  think  they  can  justify  themselves  be- 
fore God  by  their  tears  and  their  repentance ; 
though  they  have  neither  the  one  nor  the 
other,  and  though  all  the  angels  of  heaven, 
were  they  to  offer  themselves  up  as  a  sacri- 
fice for  them,  could  not  blot  out  one  of  their 
sins.  They  believe  neither  in  a  hell,  nor  in 
the  devil,  nor  in  eternal  torments,  though  the 
Bible  speaks  of  them  in  the  plainest  terms. 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       233 

Ah !  let  them  fall  into  trouble,  let  them  be 
called  to  pass  through  the  deep  waters  of 
affliction,  and  then  perhaps  they  may  open 
their  Bibles,  with  a  desire  to  learn  its  true 
meaning,  and  say,  like  the  king  of  Babylon, 
"  Now  I  praise,  and  extol,  and  honour  the 
King  of  heaven,  all  whose  works  are  truth, 
and  his  ways  judgment,  and  those  that  walk 
in  pride  he  is  able  to  abase.'' 

But  let  us  pass  on  to  ver.  10,  and  let  us 
hear  what  the  king  saw ;  which  is  our  se- 
cond subject.  While  he  slumbers  at  mid- 
night on  his  bed,  a  vision  troubles  him ;  he 
sees  a  magnificent  "  tree  in  the  midst  of  the 
earth."  This  "  tree  in  the  midst  of  the  earth" 
represented  the  power  of  Babylon,  which, 
by  the  immense  conquests  of  Nebuchadnez- 
zar, had  become,  as  it  were,  the  centre  of 
the  then  known  world. 

"  The  height  thereof  was  very  great,"  to 
intimate  the  glory  to  which  the  king  of 
Babylon  had  risen.  "  It  grew  and  was 
strong,"  symbolizing  the  irresistible  power 
of  the  Chaldean  armies.  "  The  height  there- 
of reached  to  heaven ;"  and  did  not  Nebu- 
chadnezzar aspire  to  be  a  god,  and  require 
divine  honours  to  be  paid  to  him  ?  "  The 
sight  thereof  reached  to  the  ends  of  the 
earth ;"  the  name  of  Nebuchadnezzar  was 
everywhere  in  the  mouths  of  men,  in  the 
towns  and  in  the  country,  in  the  palace  and 
in  the  cottage,  as  was  the  case  twenty-five 
20* 


234  SIXTEENTH    LESSON. 

years  ago  with  Napoleon.  "  The  leaves 
thereof  were  fah ;"  nothing  could  be  more 
magnificent  than  the  festivals,  the  palaces, 
the  officers  and  ceremonies  of  Babylon. 
"  The  fruit  thereof  was  much,  and  it  was 
meat  for  all ;  the  beasts  of  the  field  had  sha- 
dow under  it,  and  the  fowls  of  the  heaven 
dwelt  in  the  boughs  thereof,  and  all  flesh 
was  fed  of  it.'^  Not  only  was  this  empire 
glorious,  but  it  was  prosperous  and  fostering. 
Great  fortunes  were  made  under  it ;  the  peo- 
ple of  Nebuchadnezzar  were  happy  under 
his  government ;  an  admirable  order  pre- 
vailed in  the  administration ;  the  weak  were 
protected,  the  rich  enjoyed  their  wealth  in 
peace. 

But  notice,  in  the  third  place,  what  Nebu- 
chadnezzar heard.  While  this  great  sight 
was  yet  under  his  eye,  he  saw  descend  from 
heaven  an  angel,  whom  he  calls  "  a  watcher 
and  an  holy  one,"  because  the  holy  angels 
do  not  sleep  like  us,  but  arise,  attentive  to  the 
commands  of  the  Almighty ;  they  fly  with 
the  swiftness  of  wind,  or  of  a  flame  of  fire, 
to  execute  the  purposes  of  his  will. 

Can  you  tell  me  some  of  the  reasons  why 
God  has  ordained  sleep  for  us,  in  our  present 
state  ;  I  mean  not  reasons  which  regard  the 
body,  but  the  soul  ? 

1.  We  may  believe  that  men  would  be 
much  more  wicked,  did  not  sleep  intervene, 
to  calm  theh  passions,  to  interrupt  their  quar- 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.        235 

rels,  their  disputes,  and  their  intrigues,  and 
to  impose  upon  them,  by  force,  some  interval 
of  rest. 

2.  It  was  designed  to  remind  man  of  an 
important  truth.     What  is  that  truth  ? 

That  he  must  die. 

Yes,  doubtless,  it  is  to  remind  him  of  this,  that 
he  is  laid  every  day,  as  it  were,  upon  a  bed 
of  death ;  he  neither  hears,  nor  sees,  nor  eats, 
nor  drinks ;  at  least,  if  his  sleep  be  sound,  he 
is  not  conscious  of  what  he  thinks ;  and 
when  he  awakes,  he  is  as  if  he  had  not  lived 
during  that  interval.  Ah  !  my  friends,  let 
such  reflections  as  these  occupy  your  thoughts 
at  the  close  of  each  successive  day  :  My  God,  I 
am  about  to  lay  me  down  to  sleep  for  this 
night;  but  soon  I  shall  sleep  the  sleep  of 
death,  to  be  awakened  only  on  the  morning 
of  eternity  by  the  song  of  angels,  the  joyful 
shouts  of  the  saints,  and  the  sound  of  the 
trump  of  God.  Therefore,  0  my  God  !  into 
thy  hands  I  commend  my  spirit ;  and  every 
morning  think  once  more,  0  my  God  !  I  have, 
as  it  were,  died  and  risen  again  !  0!  may  it 
be  to  please  thee,  and  to  walk  in  the  liglit  of 
thy  countenance  !  And  when  my  last  waking 
comes,  may  it  be  to  go  to  thee,  to  behold  thy 
face,  and  to  rejoice  for  ever  in  thy  presence  ! 
]May  I  be  enabled  to  adopt  the  language  of 
David :  "  As  for  me,  I  shall  be  satisfied  when 
I  awake  with  thy  likeness" — and  of  Job  : 
"  I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth,  and  that 


236  SIXTEENTH   LESSON. 

he  shall  stand  at  the  latter  day  upon  the 
earth :  and,  though  after  my  skin,  worms 
destroy  this  body,  yet  in  my  flesh  I  shall  see 
God  :  whom  I  shall  see  for  myself,  and  mine 
eyes  shall  behold,  and  not  another,"  Job  xix. 
23—27. 

But  hear  the  words  of  the  "  watcher  and 
the  holy  one."  "  Hew  down  the  tree,  and 
cut  ofl*  his  branches,  shake  off  his  leaves,  and 
scatter  his  fruit ;  but  let  the  beasts  of  the  field 
get  away  from  under  it,  and  the  fowls  of  the 
air  from  its  branches.  Nevertheless,  leave 
the  stump  of  his  roots  in  the  earth,  even  with 
a  band  of  iron  and  brass,  in  the  tender  grass 
of  the  field." 

And  hear,  again,  (which  is  our  fourth  sub- 
ject,) the  angel's  interpretation  of  this ;  from 
which  it  is  evident  that  it  is  not  a  mere  tree 
that  is  in  question,  but  a  man.  "Let  his 
portion  be  with  the  beasts  in  the  grass  of  the 
earth :  let  his  heart  be  changed  from  a  man's, 
and  let  a  beast's  heart  be  given  unto  him, 
and  let  seven  times  pass  over  him." 

Our  fifth  subject  is  of  still  greater  impor- 
tance, and  requires  a  more  particular  expla- 
nation ;  it  is  the  solemn  confirmation  of  the 
angel's  sentence,  ver.  17. 

"  This  matter  is  by  the  decree  of  the 
watchers,  and  the  demand  by  the  word  of 
the  Holy  Ones." 

1.  \Vhat  are  we  to  understand  by  the  ex- 
pression, "  This  matter  is  by  the  decree  of 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.        237 

the  watchers,"  while  ver.  24  it  is  said,  "  this 
is  the  decree  of  the  JNIost  High?"  Tlie  mean^ 
ing  seems  to  he,  that  God  was  pleased  to  em- 
ploy in  the  affair  the  ministration  of  angels, 
to  whom  he  sometimes  entrusts  the  conduct 
of  the  world,  and  especially  of  his  church. 
As  the  Almighty  not  unfrequently  overrules 
human  affairs  by  directing  the  deliberations 
of  his  creatures,  so  that  their  resolutions  are 
at  once,  though  in  a  different  sense,  the  de- 
crees of  God,  and  the  decrees  of  men ;  so, 
in  like  manner,  he  would  appear  to  have 
confided  to  his  angels  the  care  of  humbling 
the  king  of  Babylon,  for  his  salvation.  In 
one  sense,  then,  it  was  "  the  decree  of  the 
Most  High,"  in  another,  "  the  decree  of  the 
watchers."  Read  what  is  said  of  angels, 
Heb.  i.  14. 

2.  And  what  are  we  to  understand  by  the 
words,  "  The  demand  is  by  the  word  of  the 
holy  ones  ?"  Ah  !  my  friends,  they  are  well 
worthy  of  our  attention.  Why  did  God  send 
this  chastisement  upon  the  king  of  Babylon  ? 
It  was  in  answer  to  the  prayers  of  the  saints. 

Yes,  there  Avere  many  saints  in  Babylon, 
Jerusalem,  Egypt,  and  by  the  river  Chebar, 
who  prayed,  and  said :  "  0  Lord,  hear ;  0 
Lord,  forgive ;  0  Lord,  glorify  thy  name, 
and  let  thy  face  shine  upon  the  sanctuary 
which  is  desolate  !"  And  they  were  heard  ; 
and  it  was  because  of  these  little  ones  that 
the  great  Nebuchadnezzar  was  about  to  lose 


238  SIXTEENTH  LESSON. 

his  throne  and  his  reason.  ^'  The  demand  is 
by  the  holy  ones."  It  is  written,  "  Shall  not 
God  avenge  his  own  elect,  which  cry  day  and 
night  unto  him,  though  he  bear  long  with 
them  ?  I  tell  you  that  he  will  avenge  them 
speedily,"  Luke  xviii.  8.  These  praying 
people  were  poor  dispersed  Jews,  slaves  and 
captives,  whom  no  one  regpcrded ;  yet  did 
they  shake  the  empire  of  Babylon  by  their 
prayers,  because  by  their  prayers  "they 
moved  the  hand  that  guides  the  world  !" 

Ah !  my  brethren,  this  our  fathers  well 
knew.  They  thought  it  right,  indeed,  to  pro- 
vide every  human  means  for  the  security  of 
their  country :  but  they  knew  that  the  best 
security  was  to  have  among  them  a  praying 
people  that  would  cry  day  and  night  to  their 
Father  in  heaven.  I  honour  the  magistrates 
of  my  country,  whoever  they  be  ;  but  as 
guardians  of  my  country's  safety,  I  regard 
the  wisest  of  them  as  children  compared 
with  the  citizen  who  knows  how  to  pray. 
When  a  people  cease  to  pray,  God,  to  punish 
them,  often  "  takes  away  the  understanding 
of  their  counsellors,"  he  divides  their  cou- 
rage, or  spoils  them  of  it,  and  "  unlooses  the 
girdle  of  their  kings." 

You  remember  the  history  of  Simon  Peter, 
Acts  xii.  While  the  church  still  mom'ns  for 
the  martyrdom  of  James,  Peter  is  appre- 
hended and  cast  into  prison.  Bound  with 
two  chains,  by  which  he  is  fastened  to  two 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.        239 

soldiers,  and  guarded  by  a  strong  military 
force,  he  is  secured  in  his  dungeon  by  a  mas- 
sive iron  gate,  and  the  keepers  before  the 
door  keep  the  prison.  The  next  day,  the 
first  of  Easter,  is  fixed  for  his  execution,  and 
all  the  people  of  Jerusalem  await  the  tragic 
scene.  But  in  a  little  upper  room,  in  the 
house  of  a  woman  called  Mary,  "  prayer," 
we  are  told,  "  was  made,  without  ceasing, 
of  the  church  unto  God  for  him."  And,  be- 
hold !  while  the  king  sleeps  in  his  palace, 
about  two  or  three  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
there  is  a  knocking  at  the  door  of  IVIary's 
house.  A  damsel,  named  Rhoda,  comes  to 
hearken,  and  when  she  recognizes  Peter's 
voice,  she  opens  not  the  gate  for  gladness, 
but  runs  in  and  tells  how  Peter  is  at  the  gate. 
Impossible  !  exclaim  the  disciples.  Thou  art 
mad  !  Poor  weak  believers  !  Where  is  your 
faith  ?  You  pray,  and  yet  cannot  believe  that 
God  has  heard  you  !  Peter  enters ;  they  cry 
out  for  joy  ;  he  beckons  to  them  to  hold  their 
peace,  and  tells  them  how  that  a  "  watcher 
and  an  holy  one,"  even  a  holy  angel,  had  been 
sent  to  deliver  him  out  of  the  hand  of  his 
enemies.  But  this  is  not  all.  A  short  time 
after,  the  king  comes  down  to  Caesarea,  to 
celebrate  a  solemn  feast ;  at  dawn  of  day  he 
ascends  his  royal  throne  ;  his  robes,  Josephus 
tells  us,  being  made  of  silver  stuff,  shone 
with  so  bright  a  lustre,  that  it  was  impossible 
to  behold  him  without  mingled  feelings  of 


240  SIXTEENTH    LESSON. 

respect  and  fear ;  he  Avas  only  fiftj^-fonr 
years  of  age  ;  his  countenance  beautiful,  and 
his  figure  noble  ;  he  was  the  intimate  friend 
of  the  Roman  emperor,  and  every  species 
of  property  seemed  to  be  his  own ;  all  the 
nobles  of  his  kingdom  stood  around  him. 
He  speaks  with  commanding  eloquence  from 
his  throne,  and  the  people  exclaim,  ''  It  is 
the  voice  of  a  god,  and  not  of  a  man.'^  But 
at  this  moment  "  a  watcher  and  an  holy 
one,"  an  angel  of  the  Lord,  smites  him ; 
immediately  he  is  racked  with  the  most  ex- 
cruciating inward  pains ;  and  he  is  borne  to 
his  palace,  where  he  is  eaten  of  worms  in 
his  bed,  and  shortly  dies  in  the  most  horrible 
torture.  The  people  of  God  had  prayed  in 
the  house  of  Mary  for  the  deliverance  of 
Peter ;  and  it  might  have  been  said  of  Herod 
as  it  was  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  "  This  matter 
is  by  the  decree  of  the  watchers,  and  the  de- 
mand by  the  word  of  the  holy  ones." 

You  must  not,  however,  suppose  that  in 
either  case  the  people,  of  God  prayed  for  the 
destruction  or  punishment  of  their  respective 
persecutors.  No  ;  they  prayed  for  the  deli- 
verance of  the  church  of  God ;  and  the  scrip- 
tures commanded  them,  as  it  does  us  all,  to 
pray  for  rulers.  In  Babylon,  they  prayed 
rather  for  the  conversion  of  Nebuchadnezzar, 
and  he  was  converted  ;  but  how  ?  He  was 
deprived  of  his  reason ;  he  was  insane  for 
seven  years ;  he  became  like  a  beast  of  the 


THE    PROPHET    DAXIEL.  241 

field ;  and,  in  the  depths  of  his  humihation, 
the  Lord  was  pleased  to  visit  and  to  save 
him  ! 

But,  lastly,  hear  the  answer  of  Daniel,  and 
observe  his  emotion.  This  is  om*  sixth  sub- 
ject. 

What  a  moment !  what  a  scene  !  The  king 
of  Babylon  stands  trembling ;  Daniel  re- 
mains in  silence.  He  is  amazed  and  con- 
founded ;  almost  a  whole  hour  elapses  before 
he  finds  utterance  for  his  thoughts.  He  loved 
the  king,  who  was  his  benefactor ;  he  hon- 
oured, admired,  and  prayed  for  him.;  and 

what  does  he  see  ? Nebuchadnezzar,  mad, 

naked,  stupid,  eating  grass  like  an  ox  ! !  "  INIy 
lord,"  cries  he,  when  the  king  has  encouraged 
him,  "  the  dream  be  to  them  that  hate  thee  !" 
The  king  insists :  "  Belteshazzar,  let  not  the 
dream,  nor  the  interpretation  thereof,  trouble 
thee."  At  length  hear  Daniel.  "  0!  what  a 
moment  \^'It  (the  tree)  is  thou,  O  king.^'^ 

"  Whereas,  the  king  saw  a  watcher,  &c. 

this  is  the  interpretation  thereof,  and  this 

is  the  decree  of  the  JNIost  High,  which  is 
come  upon  my  lord  the  king.  They  shall 
drive  thee  from  among  men,  and  thy  dwell- 
ing shall  be  with  the  beasts  of  the  field  ; — 
and  seven  times  shall  pass  over  thee,  till  thou 
know  that  the  Most  High  ruleth  in  the  king- 
dom of  men,  and  giveth  it  to  whomsoever 
he  will." 

"  And,  whereas,  they  commanded  to  leave 
21 


242  SIXTEENTH    LESSON. 

the  stump  of  the  tree  roots;  thy  kmgdom 
shall  be  sure  unto  thee ;  after  that  thou  shalt 
have  known  that  the  heavens'  do  rule.'^ 

What  a  sentence  pronounced  against  the 
greatest  of  the  kmgs  of  the  earth  !  Not  only 
to  be  despised,  but  driven  from  among  men  ; 
not  only  driven  from  among  men,  but  de- 
prived of  reason,  stripped  of  everything  hu- 
man, reduced  to  the  condition  of  a  brute, 
doomed  to  wander  about  without  clothes,  to 
receive  on  his  naked  limbs  the  dew  of  hea- 
ven, to  sleep  the  whole  year  round  beneath 
the  light  of  the  stars,  like  the  beasts  of  the 
field,  his  beard  hanging  down  upon  his 
breast,  and  his  nails  suffered  to  grow  like  the 
claws  of  an  eagle  ! 

Let  us  learn  from  this,  my  children,  the 
sovereignty  of  God.  Why  are  not  we  like 
this  man  ?  "  Who  made  thee  to  differ  from 
another?  And  what  hast  thou  that  thou  hast 
not  received  ?" 


SEVENTEENTH    LESSON. 
Daniel  iv.  27 — 37. 

On  Sunday  last  we  saw  the  dream  of  Ne- 
buchadnezzar, and  we  heard  the  prophet's 
awful  explanation  of  it.  It  now  remains  for 
us  to  consider  the  miraculous  accomplishment 
of  the  dream,  and  its  interpretation.  The 
king  himself  relates  it  in  that  humble  and 
affecting  proclamation  which  he  addressed, 
569  years  b.  c,  to  the  peoples,  nations,  and 
languages  of  this  vast  empire. 

^'  All  this  came  upon  king  Nebuchadnez- 
zar,'' ver.  28. 

A  whole  year  of  patience  was  allowed 
him  after  this  terrible  sentence ;  but  to  no 
purpose.  "  At  the  end  of  twelve  months, 
as  he  walked  in  the  palace  of  the  kingdom 
of  Babylon,  and  uttered  words  of  vain  boast- 
ing, there  fell  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying, 
"  0  king  Nebuchadnezzar,  to  thee  it  is  spo- 
ken ;  the  kingdom  is  departed  from  thee ; 
and  they  shall  drive  thee  from  among  men, 
and  seven  times  shall  pass  over  thee,  until 
thou  know  that  the  Most  High  ruleth  in  the 
kingdom  of  men.  The  same  hour  was  the 
thing  fulfilled  upon  Nebuchadnezzar." 

But  before  we  proceed  to  this  part  of  our 

243 


244  SEVENTEENTH    LESSON. 

subject,  we  would  notice  one  or  two  expres- 
sions in  the  latter  part  of  Daniel's  address  to 
the  king,  which  deserve  our  consideration. 

You  remember  that  our  last  lecture  left  us 
in  the  royal  chamber  of  the  king  of  Babylon. 
Daniel  and  Nebuchadnezzar  were  agitated 
by  the  most  violent  feelings.  The  prince  on 
his  throne,  struck  with  terror,  heard  with 
trembling  each  word  that  fell  from  the  lips 
of  the  prophet.  Daniel,  more  troubled,  per- 
haps, than  the  king  himself,  stood  before  the 
throne.  For  a  whole  hour  he  is  unable  to 
answer ;  he  remains  in  silence ;  buried  in 
meditation  and  in  prayer.  At  length  he  is 
constrained  to  speak. 

Alas !  the  tree  which  thou  sawest,  0  king, 
is  thyself!  But  after  seven  times  have  passed 
over  thy  head,  and  thou  hast  learned  that 
"  the  heavens  do  rule,"  thy  kingdom  shall  be 
restored  to  thee  again.  Then,  in  ver.  27,  as 
a  pastor  of  souls,  a  minister  of  the  living 
God,  he  counsels  the  king.  "  Wherefore,  0 
king,  let  my  counsel  be  acceptable  unto  thee, 
and  break  oif  thy  sins  by  righteousness,  and 
thine  iniquity  by  showing  mercy ;  and  it  may 
be  a  lengthening  of  thy  tranquillity  :"  that 
is,  if  haply  the  threatened  chastisement  may 
be  averted,  and  the  Lord  may  repent  him  of 
the  evil  which  he  hath  denounced,  as  he  did 
in  the  case  of  Nineveh,  when  she  put  on 
sackcloth  and  ashes ;  and  in  that  of  Ahab, 
when  he  humbled  himself  before  him. 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  24^ 

You  must  feel,  my  friends,  that  it  was  pain- 
ful to  Daniel,  who  loved  Nebuchadnezzar, 
to  fulfil  towards  him  this  severe  mission,  and 
to  tell  him  of  the  judgments  of  God.  But 
do  you  think  he  would  have  acted  more 
charitably,  if,  after  this  long  silence,  he  had 
contented  himself  with  merely  saying,  0 
king  Nebuchadnezzar,  this  terrible  dream 
has  no  reference  to  thee,  thou  hast  nothing 
to  fear,  return  to  the  affairs  of  thy  kingdom, 
and  live  in  peace  ? 

What  would  you  have  said  of  such  lan- 
guage and  of  such  conduct  ? — that  it  was  the 
language  of  a  traitor,  the  conduct  of  a  base 
mipostor  !  Why  deceive  a  man  who  confides 
in  you,  and  comes  to  ask  your  advice  ?  Do 
you  desire  his  ruin  ?  Do  you  seek  the  destruc- 
tion of  his  soul  ?  Are  you  his  deadliest  ene- 
my ?  Hence,  my  children,  you  see  what 
would  be  the  duty  of  your  friends,  if  any  of 
you  were  to  be  seized  with  a  mortal  distem- 
per. It  would  be  to  say  to  you :  My  dear 
child,  to  all  human  appearance  thou  art  going 
soon  to  enter  into  the  presence  of  thy  God ; 
but  hear !  and  may  my  counsel  be  acceptable 
unto  thee  ! — "  break  off  thy  sins  by  righte- 
ousness," repent ;  and  as  thou  hast  not  be- 
fore thee  the  twelve  months  which  were 
allowed  to  Nebuchadnezzar,  perhaps  not 
even  twelve  days,  0  cast  thyself  into  the 
arms  of  Jesus  Christ.  Happy  they  who  can 
reply  to  such  an  announcement :  I  am  ready, 
21* 


246  SEVENTEENTH    LESSON. 

I  am  ready.  Yes,  Jesus,  my  Saviour,  I  am 
ready  to  go  to  thee,  in  the  faith  of  thy  re- 
deemed ! 

But  hear  what  Avas  the  advice  of  Daniel 
to  the  king  of  Bahylon. 

"  0  king,  let  my  counsel  be  acceptable  to 
thee,"  that  is,  let  it  be  received,  let  it  be  wel- 
come ;  "  break  off  thy  sins  by  righteousness," 
or  by  justice  ;  that  is,  by  devoting  thyself  to 
the  practice  of  justice,  "  and  thine  iniquities, 
by  showing  mercy  to  the  poor." 

Thus  the  English  and  other  translations 
render  verse  27 ;  and  this  is  evidently  the 
real  meaning.  In  other  versions,  however, 
especially  Roman  Catholic,  it  is  rendered 
redeem.  "  Redeem  thy  sins  by  justice,  and 
thine  iniquities  by  showing  mercy  to  the 
poor ;"  but  this  is  a  very  ill-chosen  expres- 
sion. The  Hebrew  or  Chaldee  word  which 
Daniel  uses,  occurs  ten  or  twelve  times  in  the 
Bible,  always  in  the  sense  of  to  break, 
rescue.,  or  deliver,  but  never  to  redeem.  Be- 
sides, the  expression  to  redeem  thy  sins,  is  in 
itself  absurd  and  inadmissible.  Jesus  Christ 
himself  is  never  said  to  have  redeemed  our 
sins,  but  to  have  redeemed  us,  to  have  re- 
deemed us  from  our  sins. 

Think  not  that  I  am  dwelling  needlessly 
long  on  this  passage.  We  must  be  "jealous 
with  a  godly  jealousy,"  to  use  the  language 
of  Scripture,  when  the  doctrines  of  the  gos- 
pel are  at  stake ;  yea,  I  may  say  the  gospel 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  247 

itself;  for  the  whole  gospel  is  involved  in 
the  answer  to  this  question  :  How  can  a  sin- 
ner be  redeemed  from  his  sins  ?  Ah  !  when 
that  question  is  put  to  you,  let  your  answer 
be,  "  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb  that  ivas  slainP  But  in  the  church 
of  Rome,  they  teach  the  capital  and  fatal 
error  that  the  sinner  can  redeem  himself  from 
his  sins  by  his  own  works,  and  especially  by 
his  alms-deeds ;  and  in  support  of  an  opinion 
so  hostile  to  the  whole  tenor  of  the  scrip- 
tures, they  sometimes  bring  forward  this  pass- 
age of  Daniel.  True,  we  must  give  alms, 
and  the  man  that  does  not,  is  no  Christian ; 
but  it  is  not  our  alms  that  will  save  us — it  is 
Christ.  Nothing  is  more  contrary  to  the  gos- 
pel than  this  error  of  all  false  religions;  neither 
can  anything  be  more  opposite  to  the  doc- 
trine of  Daniel.  No,  it  was  not  thus  that 
this  man  of  prayer  desired  to  approach  his 
God.  Like  us,  he  trusted  in  Christ  Jesus ! 
And  when  he  prayed,  he  pleaded  neither  his 
alms  nor  any  other  of  his  works;  works, 
alas  !  always  mixed  with  imperfection,  even 
in  believers ;  no  !  he  pleaded  nothing  but  the 
free  mercy  of  his  God.  Read  his  prayer, 
chap.  ix.  16 — 19. 

Here,  you  see,  his  whole  suit  is  founded 
on  Jesus  Christ,  whom  he  calls  the  Lord.  He 
does  not  present  his  supplications,  depending 
upon  his  own  righteousness,  but  on  the  mani- 
fold and  great  mercies  of  his  God ;  and  for 


248  SEVENTEENTH   LESSON. 

himself,  he  speaks  oiily  of  his  sins.  You  will 
understand,  my  dear  children,  that  whatever 
good  Avorks  you  may  perform,  they  never 
can  counterbalance  your  evil  ones,  for  three 
reasons. 

1.  Were  we  to  do  all  that  is  commanded 
us,  still  we  should  "  be  unprofitable  ser- 
vants," Luke  xvii.  10;  for,  after  all,  we 
should  have  done  no  more  than  we  were 
obliged  to  do,  to  avoid  being  rebellious.  But 
if  I  do  to-day  no  more  than  was  commanded 
me,  how  can  I  atone  for  the  past  ?  The  far- 
mer who  holds  a  piece  of  land  from  me  for 
thirty  years,  without  fulfilling  the  terms  of 
his  lease,  does  not  acquit  himself  of  his  thirty 
years  of  debt,  by  paying  the  rent  of  his 
thirty-first  year.  Hence  David,  four  hundred 
years  before  Daniel,  shows  the  folly  of  those 
who  sought  to  save  themselves  by  their  alms. 
"  No  man  can  by  any  means  redeem  his  bro- 
ther, or  give  to  God  a  ransom  for  him ;  for 
the  redemption  of  the  soul  is  precious,  and  it 
ceaseth  for  ever,"  Psal.  xlix.  7,  8. 

2.  To  justify,  not  to  say  redeem,  ourselves 
by  our  own  works,  we  must  observe  the 
whole  law ;  and  if  we  violate  that  law  in 
the  least  point,  we  fall  under  its  curse.  How, 
then,  can  we  be  justified,  or  redeemed  by  a 
law  which  curses  and  condemns  us.  See  Eccl. 
vii.  20;  Prov.  xx.  9;  Gal.  v.  4;  iii.  21,  22  ; 
Rom.  iii.  19,  20.  If,  then,  you  are  told  of 
the  merit  of  ivorks,  answer  that  you  do  not 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       249 

believe  it,  since  the  works  of  man,  being  evil, 
merit  only  death.  "  The  wages  of  sin,"  saith 
St.  Paul,  "  is  death ;"  therefore  "  life  eternal 
is  the  gift  of  God,  through  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ."     But, 

3.  Good  works  are  not  the  cause  of  salva- 
tion, but  the  effect  of  it ;  they  do  not  precede, 
but  they  follow  it.  Man  cannot  do  any  works 
which  are  really  good  before  God,  so  long  as 
he  is  without  the  love  of  God.  He  is  with- 
out that  love  so  long  as  his  heart  is  unchanged. 
His  heart  is  unchanged  so  long  as  he  is  with- 
out faith  in  Christ,  as  his  Saviour.  But  as 
soon  as  he  believes,  his  sins  are  pardoned, 
he  is  saved ;  when  he  is  saved,  his  heart  is 
changed;  when  his  heart  is  changed,  he 
loves  ;  when  he  loves,  he  acts.  It  is  written, 
<•  We  love  him,  because  he  first  loved  us." 
Our  works  then  follow,  and  do  not  precede 
the  pardon  of  our  sins ;  therefore  they  are 
not  the  cause  of  it.  Thus  a  tree,  which  is 
wild  by  nature,  does  not  begin  to  bring  forth 
fruit  until  it  has  been  grafted.  Can  it  boast 
that  it  was  grafted  because  of  its  fruits  ?  Its 
fruits  follow  the  grafting,  and  do  not  precede 
it.  They  are  not,  therefore,  the  cause,  but 
the  effect  of  it.  Hence  St.  Paul  says,  "  that 
however  abundant  our  alms,  our  sufferings, 
and  our  sacrifices,  without  charity  they  are 
nothing,"  1  Cor.  xiii.  2,  3.  But  true  love 
cannot  exist  in  the  heart  without  faith.  We 
must,  therefore,  begin  by  believing  that  we 


250  SEVENTEENTH    LESSON. 

are  pardoned  and  saved  by  grace,  ere  we  can 
love  God.     See  Eph.  ii.  8—10. 

Why,  then,  does  the  Christian  give  ahiis, 
since  it  is  not  to  purchase  his  salvation? 
Why?  Simply  that  he  may  obey,  imitate, 
and  glorify  God ;  follow  Christ,  and  say  to 
him :  I  love  thee,  0  my  Saviour,  I  desire  to 
love  thee,  since  thou  hast  so  loved  me  !  I  am 
not  my  own,  1  do  this  for  thee,  I  give  my- 
self to  thee  ! 

Such,  then,  was  the  exhortation  of  Daniel 
to  Nebuchadnezzar :  Repent,  break  off  thy 
sins,  do  justice  and  mercy.  Such  was  the 
exhortation  of  Isaiah  to  the  men  of  his  time  : 
"  Cease  to  do  evil,  learn  to  do  well ;  seek 
judgment ;  relieve  the  oppressed  ;  judge  the 
fatherless  ;  plead  for  the  widow,"  Isaiah  i. 
16,  17.  Such  was  the  solemn  call  of  John 
the  Baptist :  "  0  generation  of  vipers,  bring 
forth  fruits  meet  for  repentance."  Such  was 
the  exhortation  of  the  apostles  to  those  who 
demanded  :  What  must  we  do  ?  "  Save  your- 
selves from  this  untoward  generation,  repent 
and  be  baptized,  in  the  name  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ."  Such  was  the  exhortation  of 
the  Saviour  himself :  "  The  time  is  fulfilled, 
and  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand :  re- 
pent ye,  and  believe  the  gospel."  But  let  us 
see  what  were  the  efiects  of  these  exhorta- 
tions. 

A  respite  of  one  entire  year  was  allowed 
the  Chaldean  monarch.     But,  at  the  end  of 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       25t 

twelve  months,  Nebuchadnezzar,  (it  is  him- 
self relates  it,)  walked  in  the  palace  of  his 
kingdom,  (attended,  no  doubt,  by  a  brilliant 
train  of  courtiers  and  ambassadors ;)  and  the 
king  spake,  and  said,  "Is  not  this  great 
Babylon,  that  I  have  built  for  the  house  of 
the  kingdom,  by  the  might  of  my  power,  and 
for  the  honour  of  my  majesty  ?" 

I  have  told  you  that  the  grandeur  and 
magnificence  of  Babylon  Avere  unrivalled. 
It  had,  for  ages,  been  a  noble  city,  and  dated 
its  foundation  soon  after  the  deluge.  Nebu- 
chadnezzar had  almost  built  it  anew,  and 
made  it  the  first  of  the  wonders  of  the  world. 
It  is  called  in  scripture,  "  the  golden  city, 
the  glory  of  kingdoms,"  the  "  queen  of 
kingdoms,"  the  "beauty  of  the  Chaldees' 
excellency,"  Isa.  xiv.  4;  xiii.  19;  and,  to 
express  its  formidable  power,  "  the  hammer 
of  the  whole  earth,"  Jer.  1.  23.  The  famous 
Greek  historian,  Herodotus,  who  was  born 
fifty-four  years  after  Belshazzar,  visited  it  to 
be  an  eye-witness  of  its  wonders,  and  tells 
us  that  never  was  there  anything  so  magnifi- 
cent. 

This  testimony  is  confirmed  by  that  of  a 
great  geographer  called  Strabo,  who  lived  in 
the  time  of  Jesus  Christ ;  and  of  other  cele- 
brated historians,  such  as  Diodorus,  Siculus, 
Quintus  Curtius,  and  Pliny,  who  were  con- 
temporaries either  of  our  Lord  or  of  his 
apostles.  . 


252  SEVENTEENTH    LESSON. 

The  whole  city,  we  are  told,  formed  a  per- 
fect square,  each  side  of  which  was  fifteen 
miles  long,  making  a  circuit  of  sixty  miles, 
and  an  area  of  225  square  miles.  Its  walls 
were,  perhaps,  the  most  stupendous  work 
that  ever  existed.  Constructed  of  brick, 
cemented  together  with  bitumen,  which 
grows  hard  by  being  exposed  to  the  air, 
they  rose  to  a  height  of  350  feet,  and  were 
eighty-seven  thick.  Twenty-five  magnifi- 
cent streets,  running  in  parallel  lines,  150 
feet  wide  and  fifteen  miles  long,  traversed 
the  city  from  north  to  south;  being  inter- 
sected by  twenty-five  others,  of  similar  di- 
mensions, from  west  to  east.  Thus  there 
were  fifty  superb  streets,  terminated  by  100 
brazen  gates,  and  forming,  by  their  intersec- 
tions, 676  large  squares,  with  a  perimeter  of 
2j  miles.  The  houses  round  these  squares 
were  not  less  than  from  three  to  four  stories 
in  height,  beautifully  ornamented  in  front, 
and  with  courts  and  extensive  gardens  in  the 
interior.  The  great  river  Euphrates,  which 
flowed  through  the  city,  from  north  to  south, 
was  likewise  enclosed  between  walls,  equal 
in  height  to  those  wliich  surrounded  the  city, 
and  which  were  furnished  with  immense 
flights  of  steps  leading  to  the  bed  of  the  river, 
which  was  usually  greatly  swollen  by  the 
melting  of  the  snow  in  the  months  of  July 
and  August.  These  stairs  were  likewise 
shut  in  by  high  brazen  gates. 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       253 

But  that  which  excited  the  greatest  won- 
der in  this  incomparable  city,  was  its  temples 
of  the  god  Bel,  and  its  two  royal  palaces. 

These  latter  edifices  alone  occupied  a  space 
of  nearly  three  miles  square ;  but  what  was 
most  admired  in  them,  was  their  hanging 
gardens.  These  were  immense  parterres, 
formed  on  vaulted  terraces,  400  feet  square, 
rising  one  above  the  other,  to  the  height  of 
the  walls.  The  terraces  were  built  of  stone, 
and  covered  first  with  sheets  of  lead,  then 
with  a  layer  of  bitumen  and  reeds,  and  finally 
with  a  thick  coating  of  earth,  out  of  which 
rose  clumps  of  difterent  kinds  of  trees,  of 
immense  dimensions.  On  the  topmost  plat- 
form was  constructed  a  spacious  basin,  filled 
with  water  from  the  Euphrates,  which  was 
forced  up  thither  by  a  powerful  hydraulic 
engine.  Another  work,  which  seems  to  have 
filled  strangers  with  the  highest  idea  of  the 
genius  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  was  the  passage, 
constructed  of  brick  and  bitumen,  under  the 
river  Euphrates.  This  subterraneous  labour 
had  much  analogy  with  the  famous  tunnel 
under  the  Thames. 

You  can  conceive,  then,  the  pride  of  Ne- 
buchadnezzar. The  nations  of  the  earth 
were  at  his  feet ;  he  had  overcome  them  all ; 
their  captives  and  their  riches  filled  Babylon. 
He  was  the  head  of  gold  !  The  heart  of  man 
is  too  weak  to  bear  such  successes  without 
being  lifted  up.     Alas  !  amid  such  magnifi 


254  SEVENTEENTH    LESSON. 

cence  and  such  illusion,  what  effect  could  be 
expected  from  the  vision  of  the  tree,  and  its 
awful  interpretation  ?  The  king,  indeed,  was 
alarmed  for  a  few  days ;  he  made  some  pur- 
poses of  amendment,  but  they  soon  vanished 
amid  the  smoke  of  his  greatness. 

To  comprehend  the  conduct  of  this  prince, 
we  have  only  to  consider  how  easily  many 
among  ourselves,  many  children,  many  of 
the  rich  and  noble,  who  yet  have  not  built 
Babylon  the  great,  allow  their  minds  to  be 
drawn  off  from  that  word  which  says  to  us 
continually,  "  Break  off  thy  sins  by  right- 
eousness, and  thine  iniquities  by  showing 
mercy."  They  have  witnessed,  perhaps,  the 
death  of  some  dear  relative ;  they  have  fol- 
lowed the  sad  remains  to  the  grave,  have 
shed  many  tears,  have  felt  something  of  the 
nothingness  of  all  earthly  things,  have  formed 
some  pious  resolutions ;  but  soon  these  seri- 
ous thoughts  have  vanished  like  the  morning 
dew  before  the  rising  sun ;  all  have  disap- 
peared amid  the  occupations  and  illusions  of 
life.  In  many,  our  Lord  tells  us,  the  seed  of 
the  word  springs  up,  but  never  ripens,  be- 
cause it  is  choked  by  thorns  ;  and  these  thorns 
are  of  three  kinds — 1.  "  The  deceitfulness  of 
riches,"  especially  in  the  case  of  the  aged. — 
2.  "  The  cares  of  this  world,"  in  those  of 
riper  years ;  and,  3.  "  The  pleasures  of  this 
life,"  in  the  young. 

Such,  then,  was  Nebuchadnezzar.    I  think 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       255 

I  see  him  on  the  terrace  of  his  palace,  or  in 
his  hanging  gardens,  surveying,  with  com- 
placent look,  this  magnificent  city,  and  point- 
ing with  his  royal  hand  to  these  temples  and 
other  buildings  which  had  risen  at  his  com- 
mand, and  saying,  "  Is  not  this  the  great 
Babylon  that  I  have  built  for  the  house  of 
my  kingdom?" 

But  hear !  it  is  himself  who  relates  it : 
"  While  the  word  was  in  the  king's  mouth, 
there  fell  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying,  0 
king,  Nebuchadnezzar,  to  thee  it  is  spoken  ; 
thy  kingdom  is  departed  from  thee,"  &c. 
ver.  31. 

These  were  the  last  words  which  the  king 
of  Babylon  heard.  From  that  moment  his 
reason  departed  from  him,  and  seven  years 
passed  over  him  as  seven  seconds.  At  the 
end  of  seven  years  he  remembered  these 
words ;  but  from  the  moment  they  were  ut- 
tered,he heard  nothing;  his  brain  was  affected; 
his  mind  was  gone  ;  he  became  stupid,  insen- 
sible, perhaps  raging  mad  ;  it  was  necessary 
to  exclude  him  from  human  society ;  he  chose 
to  go  naked,  as  it  often  happens  with  mad- 
men ;  he  lived  in  the  open  air ;  his  body  was 
wet  with  the  dew  of  heaven ;  his  hair  was 
like  the  feathers  of  an  eagle,  and  his  nails 
like  the  claws  of  a  bird  of  prey. 

And  here,  my  friends,  again  you  will  re- 
member what  I  said  to  you  last  Sunday. 
What  hinders  us  from  being  reduced  this  day 


256  SEVENTEENTH    LESSON. 

to  the  same  condition  ?  what  but  the  grace 
of  God  ?  Alas  !  it  requires  but  httle  to  bring 
us  to  it ;  a  fall,  a  blow,  a  trifling  hurt,  a  sin- 
gle drop  of  blood  extravasated  in  the  brain, 
any  of  these  things  are  sufficient  to  deprive 
us  of  our  memory,  or  of  our  reason,  or  of 
our  will,  or  of  all  together.  And  have  we 
not  deserved,  by  the  abuse  which  we  have 
made  of  these  noble  faculties,  that  they  should 
be  taken  from  us,  seeing  that  our  Creator  has 
only  lent  them  to  us,  to  be  employed  in  his 
service,  and  for  his  glory  ? 

But  attend  to  the  touching  language  of  the 
king  of  Babylon,  and  admire  the  goodness 
of  the  Almighty  to  that  great  monarch.  The 
Lord  piu'posed  to  give  him  true  reason,  true 
wisdom,  true  understanding ;  and,  behold ! 
he  is  converted ;  behold  !  from  the  height  of 
his  throne  he  adores,  magnifies  and  glorifies 
the  true  and  living  God !  Hear  his  OAvn 
words,  ver.  34. 

"  At  the  end  of  the  days,  I,  Nebuchad- 
nezzar, lifted  up  mine  eyes  to  heaven,  and 
mine  understanding  returned  unto  me,  and  I 
blessed  the  Most  High,  and  I  praised  and 
honoured  him  that  liveth  for  ever,  whose  do- 
minion is  an  everlasting  dominion,  and  his 
kingdom  is  from  generation  to  generation." 

His  counsellors  recalled  him;  he  was  re- 
established on  his  throne,  and  his  glory  was 
even  augmented. 


*       EIGHTEENTH    LESSON. 
Daniel  v.  1 — 10. 

We  are  about  to  consider,  verse  by  verse, 
this  wonderful  chapter.  It  is  entirely  de 
voted  to  the  history  of  a  single  night ;  but 
what  a  solemn  night !  A  night  the  most  im- 
portant, perhaps,  in  the  annals  of  the  world, 
not  only  on  account  of  the  great  events 
which  characterized  it,  but  more  especially 
because  it  was  a  prophetic  type  of  the  last 
solemn  judgment  of  the  Lord.  It  is  the  night 
on  which  the  mighty  Babylon  fell,  because 
"  her  sins  had  gone  up  to  heaven,  and  the 
Lord  had  remembered  her  iniquities."  "Alas! 
alas !  that  great  city  Babylon,  that  mighty 
city  !  for  in  our  time  her  judgment  is  come." 
A  night  so  great  and  so  terrible,  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  frequently  refers  to  it,  as  an  em- 
blem of  that  night  a  thousand  times  greater 
and  more  terrible,  "  when  Jesus  Christ  shall 
be  revealed  from  heaven  in  flaming  fire, 
taking  vengeance  on  them  that  fear  not  God, 
and  obey  not  the  gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ." 

But  remark,  in  verse  1,  how  this  night  be- 
gan in  Babylon.  It  was  to  end  with  weep- 
ing and  lamentations,  with  voices  of  terror 

22*  257 


258  EIGHTEENTH    LESSON, 

and  cries  of  death ;  but  it  began  with  mirth 
and  laughter,  with  national  rejoicings,  shows, 
illuminations,  festivities,  splendid  dress,  and 
imperial  pomp. 

Let  us  read  the  first  verse. 

"  Belshazzar,  the  king,  made  a  great  feast 
to  a  thousand  of  his  lords,  and  drank  wine 
before  the  thousand.'' 

This  magnificent  banquet,  to  which  were 
mvited  a  thousand  guests,  took  place  at  night, 
in  the  sumptuous  palaces  of  the  king  of 
Babylon,  illuminated  in  the  most  splendid 
manner. 

I  told  you  something  of  the  superb  gran- 
deur of  those  palaces  last  Sunday.  Over  the 
river  Euphrates,  which  traversed  the  city 
from  north  to  south,  there  was  thrown  a 
beautiful  bridge  660  feet  long,  at  the  ex- 
tremities of  which  stood  two  palaces,  the  one 
on  the  right,  foiu:  miles  in  circuit,  called  the 
Old  Palace  ;  the  other,  on  the  left,  still  more 
extensive,  called  the  New  Palace.  It  was 
probably  here,  or  on  the  terrace  of  the  hang- 
ing gardens,  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  that 
this  royal  banquet  was  given.  It  was  the 
festival  of  the  false  gods  of  Babylon,  a  day 
which  was  celebrated  every  year  ;  but  on  the 
present  occasion  it  was  purposed  to  keep  it 
with  more  than  usual  pomp.  Belshazzar  had 
invited  the  most  distinguished  persons  of  his 
kingdom ;  and,  contrary  to  all  the  rules  of 
decorum  which  prevailed  in  the  East,  the 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  259 

women  of  his  harem,  in  all  the  splendour  of 
dress  and  beauty,  were  present ;  the  joy  was 
great ;  they  drank  freely ;  and  the  king  him- 
self, forgetting  the  dignity  of  his  station,  gave 
them  the  example  of  that  sinful  hilarity  which 
wine  excites.  "  He  drank,"  we  read  in  the 
first  verse,  "  before  his  thousand  lords." 

Who,  that  saw  this  night  begin  with  such 
gaiety  and  splendour,  could  have  thought  it 
would  turn  out  one  of  the  most  disastrous 
and  bloody  in  the  records  of  nations ;  that 
before  the  rising  of  the  sun  Babylon  was 
doomed  to  fall ;  the  young  king,  his  officers 
and  attendants,  to  be  slain  with  the  sword ; 
and  in  these  halls,  where,  a  few  hours  before 
the  wine  flowed,  human  blood  was  to  be 
poured  out  like  water  ! 

Alas  !  my  brethren,  so  it  too  often  is  with 
all  the  festivities  of  this  world ;  I  mean  not 
alone  the  impure  joys  of  which  wine  is  the 
promoter,  but  all,  even  the  most  innocent 
jo3^s  of  this  life,  whether  in  the  palace  of 
kings,  or  in  the  cottage  of  the  poor.  The 
day  begins  with  gaiety  and  thoughtlessness  ; 
but  who  can  tell  how  it  shall  end  ?  "  Bel- 
shazzar  made  a  great  feast  to  a  thousand  of 
his  lords." 

To  understand  this  important  chapter,  it 
will  be  necessary  for  us  to  know  who  this 
Belshazzar  was ;  and  what  events  took  place 
between  the  last  and  the  present  chapter. 

Belshazzar  was  properly  not  the  son,  but 


260  EIGHTEENTH    LESSON. 

the  grandson  of  Nebuchadnezzar;  and  it 
was  about  twenty-three  years  and  a  half 
after  the  death  of  that  prmce,  that  the  great 
feast  in  question  took  place.  Nebuchadnez- 
zar, you  are  aware,  was  deranged  for  seven 
years,  that  is,  from  568  to  561  b.  c.  He  died 
the  year  after,  (560  b.  c,)  having  reigned 
forty-six  years.  Evil  Merodach,  his  son,  who 
succeeded  him,  did  not  long  occupy  the 
throne ;  but  during  his  reign,  many  of  the 
countries  which  his  father  had  conquered, 
and  among  others  those  of  the  Medes  and 
Persians,  acquired  more  or  less  independence. 
The  son  of  the  reigning  king  of  Persia  was 
a  youth  of  great  promise,  and  as  his  mother 
was  daughter  of  the  old  king  of  the  Medes, 
he  was  sent  to  the  court  of  his  grandfather, 
to  finish  his  education.  Thus  Cyrus,  from 
his  youth,  had  gained  the  affections  of  the 
Medes  as  well  as  of  the  Persians,  and  was 
prepared  one  day  to  become  the  general  and 
prince  of  both  nations.  He  was  associated  in 
the  command  of  the  army  with  his  maternal 
uncle,  called  in  scripture  Darius  the  Mede, 
and  with  him  he  made  war  against  the  king 
of  Babylon.  This  latter  prince  being  slain 
in  battle,  the  hostile  army  came  and  laid 
siege  to  his  magnificent  capital. 

I  have  already  spoken  to  you  of  this  won- 
derful city.  How  was  it  to  be  taken  !  It  was 
supplied  with  provisions  for  twenty  years, 
had  a  numerous  garrison  within  its  walls, 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  261 

and  so  strongly  fortified  that  it  seemed  im- 
pregnable. Nevertheless,  Cyrus  and  his  uncle 
did  not  give  up  hope.  They  drew  their 
armies  round  Babylon,  dug  deep  trenches 
before  the  walls,  and  distributed  their  forces 
into  twelve  divisions,  each  to  be  employed 
for  a  month,  in  turn,  on  military  duty ;  no 
one  was  permitted  either  to  enter  or  to  leave 
the  city,  and  when  Belshazzar  fell,  they  had 
already  been  engaged  for  three  years  in  what 
seemed  a  fruitless  and  never-ending  siege. 

Meanwhile  the  Babylonians,  enclosed  with- 
in their  walls,  felt  no  uneasiness ;  they  laughed 
at  the  folly  of  their  enemies,  insulted  them 
from  their  battlements,  and  it  was,  no  doubt, 
to  show  how  little  he  feared  them,  that  the 
king  gave  his  people  that  splendid  banquet, 
of  which  we  have  read  this  day.  Such,  in- 
deed, was  their  security,  that  they  neglected 
to  shut  the  massive  gates  which  opened  from 
the  quays  on  the  waters  of  the  river. 

But  while  the  Babylonians  were  thus 
buried  in  thoughtlessness,  king  Cyrus  was 
meditating  a  daring  plan  for  the  taking  of 
the  cit)^,  which  I  will  tell  you  of  in  my  next. 
But  to  proceed. 

"Belshazzar,  whilst  he  tasted  the  Avine, 
commanded  to  bring  the  golden  and  silver 
vessels  which  his  father,  Nebuchadnezzar, 
had  taken  out  of  the  temple  which  was  in 
Jerusalem  ;  that  the  king  and  the  princes,  his 
wives  and  his  concubines,  might  drink  there 


262  EIGHTEENTH    LESSON. 

in.  Then  they  brought  the  golden  vessels 
that  were  taken  out  of  the  temple  of  the 
house  of  God,  which  was  at  Jerusalem ;  and 
the  king  and  the  princes  drank  in  them. 
They  drank  wine,  and  praised  the  gods  of 
gold  and  of  silver,  and  of  brass,  of  iron,  of 
wood,  and  of  stone." 

Such  are  the  effects  of  intemperance.  It 
is  especially  amid  the  degrading  excesses  of 
the  table,  and  under  the  influence  of  wine, 
that  the  heart  of  man  discloses  in  the  most 
open  manner  all  the  vile  passions  which 
dwell  in  it,  pride,  impurity,  anger,  cruelty, 
contempt  of  divine  things,  blasphemy,  and 
all  those  pollutions  which  our  Lord  tells  us 
come  from  within.  Mark  vii.  21  ;  compare 
Luke  xxi.  34 — 36  ;  Prov.  xx.  1 ;  Isa.  v.  11 — 
13  ;  Prov.  xxxi.  4,  5. 

It  was  at  a  feast  which  he  gave  to  his 
court  on  his  birth-day,  that  king  Herod,  who 
notwithstanding  loved  and  revered  the  Bap- 
tist, being  heated  with  wine,  like  Belshazzar, 
promised  with  an  oath  to  give  to  the  young 
Salome  whatsoever  she  should  ask.  In- 
structed by  her  mother,  she  returns  into  the 
presence  of  these  great  lords,  who,  glass  in 
hand,  hail  her  appearance  with  exclamations 
of  applause,  and  she  demands  of  the  king, 
"  Give  me  here  John  Baptist's  head  in  a 
charger."  **'  The  king,"  we  are  told,  "  was 
Sony  :  nevertheless,  for  his  oath's  sake,  and 
them  that  sat  at  meat  with  him,  he  com- 


THE    PROPHET   DANIEL.  263 

manded  it  to  be  given  her."  And  while  they 
laughed  and  sung,  and  revelled,  one  of  the 
soldiers  on  guard  in  the  palace  went  out 
hastily,  and  proceeded  into  the  dungeon 
where  the  Baptist  lay.  He  enters,  awakes 
the  prophet,  seizes  him  by  the  hair  of  his 
head,  and  severs  his  head  from  his  shoulders. 
In  a  few  moments  a  servant  enters  the  fes- 
tive hall  with  a  new  dish  in  his  hands;  he 
withdraws  the  napkin  which  covers  it ;  and, 
behold  !  the  head  of  the  man  of  God,  swim- 
ming in  blood. 

It  is  said  that  almost  all  those  sanguinary 
conspiracies,  which  issued  in  such  a  frightful 
effusion  of  Protestant  blood  in  France,  were 
concocted  at  Blois,  Bayonne,  Paris,  and  Or- 
leans, amid  the  festivities  of  the  table,  and  in 
the  society  of  the  Salomes,  and  other  immo- 
ral women,  who  constantly  attended  Cathe- 
rine de  Medicis,  the  Herodias  of  the  French. 
You  have  all  heard  of  the  horrible  St.  Bar- 
tholomew's Eve  ;  when,  in  a  time  of  profound 
peace,  without  any  previous  warning,  in  one 
night,  all  the  Protestants  of  France  were 
surprised  while  sleeping  in  their  beds,  and 
treacherously  murdered ;  those  Avho  were 
found  in  the  streets,  endeavouring  to  escape, 
were  thrown  into  the  rivers ;  and  those  who 
had  made  their  way  into  the  country  were 
hunted  and  shot  at  like  wild  beasts.  Thirty 
thousand  were  butchered  in  cold  blood  ;  and 
the  head  of  their  leader,  the  venerable  Co- 


264  EIGHTEENTH   LESSON. 

ligny,  was  carried  to  the  queen  mother,  who, 
according  to  the  French  historians,  Le  Ge- 
netre,  Matthieu,  and  S.  de  Serres,  and  the 
English  Universal  History,  had  it  embalmed 
and  sent  to  Rome.  Now  this  horrible  con- 
spiracy was  planned  amid  the  festivities  of  a 
grand  entertainment  given  in  honour  of  a 
marriage  in  which  the  French  court  was  con- 
cerned.    Hence  it  is  written,  "  Be  sober  !" 

But  contemplate  this  unhappy  Belshazzar 
and  his  guilty  nobles.  The  court  of  Babylon 
had  received  a  solemn  lesson  twenty-five 
years  before,  in  the  conversion  and  example 
of  Nebuchadnezzar.  There  were,  besides, 
in  this  city,  thousands  of  believing  Israelites, 
who  worshipped  the  true  and  living  God. 
Religion  had  revived  among  them ;  and  the 
attention  of  many  of  the  Chaldeans  had 
been  drawn  to  the  word  of  God  by  the 
edicts  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  the  miracles  of 
Daniel,  and  the  wonderful  deliverance  of  his 
three  companions.  At  the  same  time  ungod- 
liness and  irreligion  reigned  at  the  court  of 
the  young  prince,  and  doubtless  they  were 
excited,  as  is  generally  the  case,  by  the  re- 
ligious awakening  which  had  lately  taken 
place. 

When,  then,  the  prince  and  his  numerous 
guests  were  heated  with  wine,  they  thought 
of  sending  for  the  vessels  of  gold  taken  from 
the  temple  at  Jerusalem,  and  of  making  use 
of  them  in  their  orgies,  as  the  greatest  insult 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  265 

they  could  offer  to  the  God  of  the  Hebrews, 
the  new  religion,  as  they  called  it,  and  all  the 
mummeries  which  the  old  Nebuchadnezzar 
had  sanctioned. 

Immediately  it  is  done.  They  are  con- 
veyed from  the  house  of  Bel,  where  the  vic- 
tors had  deposited  them  ;  and  no  sooner  are 
they  laid  on  the  festive  board  than  the  king, 
his  lords,  his  wives,  and  his  concubines,  to 
insult  the  true  and  living  God,  begin  to  drink 
out  of  the  sacred  vessels,  and  to  offer  their 
libations  and  praises  to  these  "  gods  of  gold 
and  of  silver,  of  bra.ss,  of  iron,  of  wood,  and 
of  stone." 

But,  hark !  a  scream  of  terror  escapes 
from  king  Belshazzar.  What  is  the  matter  ! 
See  how  he  changes  colour  and  trembles,  in 
the  midst  of  his  nobles  and  the  women  of  his 
court !  The  paleness  of  death  is  upon  his 
countenance ;  his  wild-staring  eye  is  fixed 
upon  the  wall,  over  against  the  candlestick  ; 
he  is  no  longer  able  to  support  himself;  the 
joints  of  his  loins  are  loosed ;  he  faints,  and 
his  Iviiees  smite  one  against  another  !  What, 
then,  has  happened  ?  Why  do  his  trembling 
hands  continue  stretched  out  convulsively  to- 
wards that  wall }  What  is  there  ?  Hear,  I 
will  tell  you. 

While  this  ungodly  assembly  were  blas- 
pheming God,  and  desecrating  the  vessels  of 
his  sanctuary ;  while  they  were  madly  giving 
themselves  up  to  every  kind  of  excess,  be- 
23 


266  EIGHTEENTH    LESSON. 

hold  !  the  fingers  of  a  man's  hand  were  seen 
to  come  out  upon  the  wall,  just  opposite 
where  the  king  sat !  And  these  fingers  did 
not  go  away ;  they  wrote  !  "  They  wrote 
over  against  the  candlestick  upon  the  plaster 
of  the  wall  of  the  king's  palace  !"  "  And 
the  king  saw  the  part  of  the  hand  which 
wrote  !"  The  longer  he  looked  at  it,  the 
more  his  terror  increased,  ^'  his  countenance 
changed,  and  his  thoughts  troubled  him,  so 
that  the  joints  of  his  loins  were  loosed,  and 
his  knees  smote  one  against  another."  His 
conscience,  at  length  awakened,  agitated  and 
tormented  him,  and,  as  it  were,  stirred  up  by 
the  storms  of  the  Most  High,  filled  him  with 
consternation. 

At  last  he  utters  a  loud  cry — "  The  king 
cried  with  a  loud  voice  to  bring  in  the  as- 
trologers of  Babylon;"  and  as  soon  as  they 
arrive,  he  says,  "  Whosoever  of  you  shall 
read  this  writing,  and  show  me  the  interpre- 
tation thereof,  he  shall  be  clothed  with  scar- 
let, and  have  a  chain  of  gold  about  his  neck, 
and  shall  be  the  third  ruler  in  the  king- 
dom!" 

Now  judge  what  must  have  been  the  ter- 
ror of  that  vast  assembly !  The  wise  men 
arrive,  but  none  of  them  can  read  the  writ- 
ing ;  they  no  longer  find  their  pretended  in- 
spirations, they  are  fixed  to  the  spot,  they  are 
paralyzed  with  fear.  Again,  we  are  told, 
"  the  king  is  troubled  ;"  his  distress  is  at  its 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.        267 

height ;  "  his  countenance  is  changed,  and 
his  lords  are  astonied.'^ 

At  this  moment,  a  person,  who  had  taken 
no  part  in  the  proceedings  of  the  night,  made 
her  appearance  in  the  royal  apartment.  This 
was  the  queen  mother,  supposed  to  be  the 
famous  Nitocris,  of  whom  history  speaks 
with  so  much  praise.  She  had  heard,  in  her 
retirement,  of  her  son's  distress,  and  came 
now  to  offer  him  counsel.  She  suggested  to 
the  king  that  he  should  immediately  send  for 
Daniel,  whom  she  had  formerly  known,  but 
who,  for  some  time,  had  lived  at  a  distance 
from  court  and  public  life. 

My  dear  children,  let  not  the  details  of  this 
important  history  be  obliterated  from  your 
recollections.  Remember  that  there  is  in 
heaven  a  hand  which  registers  all  the  actions 
of  men,  and  all  the  events  of  time ;  a  hand 
more  terrible  than  that  which  appeared  to 
the  king  of  Babylon ;  a  hand  which  writes 
down  every  day  in  the  book  of  God's  re- 
membrance, even  the  most  secret  thought  of 
your  hearts,  to  be  referred  to  in  the  day  of 
great  account.  Never  lose  sight  of  that  hand 
and  of  that  book  !  And  when  you  happen  to 
fall  into  the  society  of  those  who  would  in- 
duce you  to  do  what  is  wrong,  when  you  are 
tempted  to  say,  "  Doth  God  know.^  is  there 
knowledge  with  the  Almighty  ?"  Oh !  let 
your  eyes  be  directed  to  the  wall,  and  re- 
member Belshazzar !    Thinli  of  that   hand 


268  EIGHTEENTH    LESSON. 

which  writes  in  heaven,  and  which,  if  God 
so  pleased,  might  this  moment  come  forth  on 
the  wall,  and  trace,  in  mysterious  characters 
before  your  eyes,  your  moral  weight  in  the 
celestial  balances.  0  yes,  my  friends,  think 
of  these  things  !  for  soon  the  "  sea  shall  give 
up  the  dead  which  are  in  it,  and  death  and 
hell  shall  deliver  up  the  dead  which  are  in 
them ;  and  they  shall  be  judged  every  man 
according  to  his  works."  0  my  God,  on 
that  day  let  the  blood  of  atonement  be  sprin- 
kled upon  all  the  pages  of  that  awful  book 
which  concern  me  !  let  it  blot  out  the  record 
of  my  sins  traced  by  the  hand  of  thine  eter- 
nal justice  and  truth  !  let  nothing  remain  but 
the  little  good  which  I  have  been  enabled  to 
do  by  thy  grace,  through  faith  in  my  Saviour ; 
and  even  from  that  also,  let  that  same  blood 
wash  away  the  evil  which,  alas !  is  always 
mixed  up,  more  or  less,  with  everything  I 
do! 

One  reflection  more,  my  friends,  upon  this 
subject,  and  I  have  done. 

The  last  day  !  Oh  !  how  dreadful  must  that 
day  appear  to  him  who  forms  his  judgment 
of  it  from  this  chapter  of  Daniel !  Mark  the 
agitation,  the  distress  of  this  mighty  monarch ! 
Why  this  fear,  this  terror,  this  scream  of  an- 
guish, this  trembling  of  his  limbs,  this  loosing 
of  his  loins,  this  smiting  of  his  knees  one 

against   another  !     He   has   seen what  ? 

Merely  a  hand,  part  of  a  hand,  a  silent,  un- 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.        269 

armed  hand,  tracing  words  upon  the  plaster 
of  the  wall !  What,  then,  shall  be  the  terrors 
of  that  day,  when,  at  the  sound  of  the  arch- 
angel's voice,  not  this  hand  upon  the  wall, 
but  the  Son  of  man  himself  shall  appear, 
coming-  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  his 
mighty  angels,  in  flaming  fire,  taking  ven- 
geance upon  all  that  know  not  God ;  when, 
not  these  four  words  shall  be  seen,  but  the 
book  of  remembrance ;  not  the  wall  of  the 
palaces,  but  the  great  white  throne,  and  He 
that  sitteth  thereon.  And  the  dead,  both 
small  and  great,  shall  stand  before  the  throne; 
and  the  books  shall  be  opened ;  and  all  the 
tribes  of  the  earth  shall  mourn  and  wail ; 
and  they  shall  hide  themselves  in  the  caverns 
and  rocks  of  the  mountains,  saying  unto  the 
rocks  and  mountains,  "  Fall  on  us  and  cover 
us  from  the  presence  of  him  that  sitteth  upon 
the  throne,  and  from  the  presence  of  the 
Lamb  !  For  the  great  day  of  his  wrath  is 
come,  and  who  shall  be  able  to  stand  ?" 

My  God  !  remember  us  in  that  terrible 
day !  Lord  Jesus,  have  mercy  upon  us ! 
Thou,  and  thou  only,  canst  deliver  us  from 
the  wrath  to  come  !  May  we  appear  before 
thee  without  spot  in  that  day ;  having  put 
our  trust  in  thy  blood,  "  may  we  not  be 
ashamed  before  thee  at  thy  coming  !" 

23* 


NINETEENTH    LESSON. 
Daniel  v.  11 — 21. 

We  witnessed,  last  Sunday,  the  first  scenes 
of  Belshazzar's  feast,  and  I  trust  you  have 
not  forgotten  them.  The  king  was  then  in 
all  the  brilliancy  of  youth  and  regal  splen- 
dour ;  the  women  of  his  court,  in  their  rich- 
est and  most  magnificent  attire ;  and  all  the 
estates  of  his  kingdom.  The  guests,  without 
counting  the  females,  were  a  thousand  in 
number. 

Who  can  conceive  the  splendour  of  that 
night ;  the  beauty  of  the  gardens,  the  mag- 
nificence of  the  palaces,  the  appearance  of 
that  immense  city  illumined  by  thousands  of 
fires,  and  entirely  given  up  to  festivity ;  the 
great  river  Euphrates,  which  traversed  it  so 
majestically  with  its  mighty  navy  floating 
between  the  banks ;  in  a  word,  all  the  fasci- 
nations of  that  royal  feast,  the  richness  of 
the  furniture,  (for  which  the  Chaldeans  were 
so  long  renowned,)  the  splendour  of  the 
dresses,  the  beauty  of  the  women,  and  the 
royal  music. 

But,  alas !  it  was  an  ungodly  joy,  and  they 
were  graceless  hearts  that  joined  in  it ! 
Inebriating  liquors  flowed  in  abundance ; 
270 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.        271 

impurity  and  blasphemy  were  mingled  with 
their  strong  drink ;  and  soon  that  unhallowed 
gaiety  which  wine  inspires,  those  daring  sal- 
lies which  come  from  the  cups,  those  auda- 
cious pleasantries  in  which  the  heart  of  man 
indulges  when  it  is  full,  led  this  elegant  but 
reckless  company  into  the  most  revolting 
profanations,  and  the  most  horrible  blas- 
phemies. It  is  at  such  a  moment,  saith  the 
Scripture,  men  set  their  mouth  against  hea- 
ven, insult  God  to  his  face,  and  sin  with  a 
high  hand.  "  Wo  to  thee,  0  land,  when  thy 
king  is  a  child,  and  thy  princes  eat  in  the 
morning." 

At  this  feast  of  Belshazzar,  as  has  hap- 
pened at  many  of  a  more  recent  date,  they 
ridiculed  religious  people,  defied  the  true  and 
living  God,  and  laughed  at  things  sacred  and 
divine.  And  no  doubt  many  a  jest  was 
passed  on  that  despised  people,  who  had 
been  living  among  them  for  the  last  seventy 
years,  and  were  now  beginning  to  look  for- 
ward to  a  promised  deliverance. 

Meanwhile  the  sacred  vessels,  plundered 
from  the  sanctuary  of  the  Hebrews,  are  pro- 
duced ;  they  receive  the  sparkling  wine  ;  the 
royal  guests  quaff  full  bumpers  from  them  in 
honour  of  their  gods ;  pour  out  libations  to 
their  idols;  and  drink  in,  with  the  flowing 
liquors,  iniquity,  insolence,  and  blasphemy. 
But  suddenly,  on  the  plaster  of  the  wall, 
over  against  the  candlestick,  the  fingers  of  a 


272  NINETEENTH    LESSON. 

man's  hand  visibly  appear,  and  write  in  so- 
lemn silence  mysterious  and  miknown  cha- 
racters. 

At  this  sight  the  countenance  of  the  king 
turned  pale  ;  his  knees  smote  one  against  an- 
other ;  despair  was  depicted  in  his  looks ;  he 
utters  a  cry  of  horror,  and  calls  for  the  as- 
trologers.    They  come  ;  but  they  are  con- 
founded and  paralysed  with  fear ;  the  terror 
of  the  Lord  seizes  them.     Upon  this  the  agi- 
tation of  the  king  increases  ;  he  has  no  longer 
power  over  himself ;  his  countenance,  lately 
beaming  with  youth,  and  lighted  up  with 
loy,  becomes  more  disconcerted,  and  betrayed 
more  than  ever  the  terror  which  possessed 
his  whole  soul.     Some  suppose  that  his  hair 
turned  gray  in  a  moment.    At  all  events,  the 
Holy  Spirit  twice  notices  this  change  in  the 
form  of  his  visage,  and  tells  us  that  it  inspired 
the  guests  with  the  greatest  dread. 

However,  the  reports  of  these  events  had 
reached  the  ears  of  the  queen  mother,  the 
widow  of  Evil  Merodach,  the  famous  Nito- 
cris.  She  comes  to  the  palace,  enters  this 
scene  of  consternation,  is  received  with  marks 
of  profound  respect.  Has  she  come  to  read 
herself  the  mysterious  lines  which  have  baf- 
fled the  wise  men  of  Babylon  !  Shall  she  be 
able  to  explain  this  appalling  prodigy  ? 

"  0  king,"  saith  she,  "  live  for  ever,"  and 
let  not  thy  countenance  bear  those  marks  of 
terror  which  are  sufficient  to  fill  all  our  hearts 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       273 

with  alarm  ;  "  there  is  a  man  in  thy  kingdom 
in  whom  is  the  spirit  of  the  holy  gods.'-' 

It  is  with  this  last  verse  that  our  lecture 
this  day  commences.  Let  us  dwell  upon  it 
for  a  moment,  to  admire  the  wisdom  of  God, 
who,  in  his  own  good  time,  brings  about  the 
accomplishment  of  all  his  eternal  purposes. 
The  dynasty  must  now  change  ;  the  kings  of 
Babylon  must  fall  for  ever  ;  the  head  of  gold 
must  come  to  its  end,  and  be  succeeded  by 
the  breast  and  arms  of  silver,  for  so  it  is 
written.  But  when  Darius  the  JNIede,  and 
Cyrus  the  Persian  come  to  the  throne,  they 
must  favour  the  people  of  God,  and  restore 
them  to  their  own  land.  Therefore  it  is  ne- 
cessary for  this  humble  prophet  to  be  brought 
again  into  notice,  that  on  the  taking  of  Baby- 
lon every  mouth  may  speak  of  him,  and  the 
king  of  the  Medes  may  treat  him  with  dis- 
tinction, and  place  him  at  the  head  of  his 
kingdom.  It  is  for  this  reason  that  the  hand 
appears  on  the  wall,  that  Daniel  may  be  sent 
for,  and  all  who  know  him  may  have  confi- 
dence in  him. 

Ah !  in  the  e^^es  of  angels  the  great  con- 
test against  Chaldea  and  its  king  was  not 
carried  on  in  the  plains  of  Babylon ;  or  on 
the  banks,  or  in  the  drained  bed  of  the  Eu- 
phrates. No  !  it  was  rather  in  the  chamber 
of  the  prophet,  when  that  man  of  God,  kneel- 
ing with  his  face  towards  Jerusalem,  wrestled 
with  the  Lord  in  prayer  for  the  deliverance 


274  NINETEENTH    LESSON. 

of  his  people.  It  was  there  was  decided  the 
fall  of  Belshazzar,  and  the  overthrow  of  the 
Chaldean  empire.  Daniel  and  his  brethren, 
no  doubt,  prayed  for  the  restoration  of  Israel, 
and  not  for  the  destruction  of  their  enemies ; 
but  the  Lord  in  hearing  them,  had  fixed  the 
following  day  for  the  punishment  of  Bel- 
shazzar,  and  the  utter  and  perpetual  desola- 
tion of  the  land  of  Chaldea.  It  was  the  eve 
of  the  day  when  it  should  be  said,  "  How  is 
the  hammer  of  the  whole  earth  cut  asunder 
and  broken  !  A  sword  is  upon  the  Chaldeans 
and  upon  the  inhabitants  of  Babylon,  and 
upon  her  princes,  and  upon  her  wise  men ; 
and  they  shall  be  dismayed  •,  a  sword  is  upon 
their  horses,  and  upon  their  chariots,  and 
upon  all  the  mingled  people  that  are  in  the 
midst  of  her ;  and  they  shall  become  as 
women  ;  a  sword  is  upon  her  treasures,  and 
they  shall  be  robbed."  Jer.  1. 

Daniel,  indeed,  whom  we  regarded  a  few 
weeks  ago,  when  we  considered  the  first 
chapter,  but  as  a  youth  of  fifteen  or  sixteen 
years  of  age,  had  passed  his  eighty-fifth  3^ear 
when  he  was  sent  for,  at  the  suggestion  of 
Nitocris.  But  since  the  death  of  Nebuchad- 
nezzar, that  is,  for  twenty-three  years,  he  had 
lived  at  a  distance  from  court,  neglected  and 
forgotten.  He  was  regarded  as  a  mere  en- 
thusiast, one  of  those  drivelling  Hebrew 
fanatics  who  had  got  round  the  old  king  and 
induced  him  to  change  his  religion,  and  pro- 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       275 

claim  the  vanquished  god  of  the  Jews,  whom 
Babylon  had  made  her  captives  and  trampled 
under  foot,  to  be  the  true  God.  And  what, 
said  no  doubt  the  young  Belshazzar,  what 
were  the  consequences  of  all  this  to  my 
grandfather  ?  Why,  that  religion  made  him 
mad.  Yes,  foolish,  inconsiderate  Belshazzar  ! 
True,  God  took  away  from  him  his  reason ; 
but  it  was  to  humble  him,  to  save  him  from 
a  madness  like  thine,  and  to  teach  him  that 
wisdom  which  cometh  from  above.  See 
Prov.  iii.  15,  16. 

It  was  necessary,  then,  that  when  the  sev- 
enty years'  captivity  of  the  Jews  was  about 
to  expire,  the  attention  of  all  the  Medes  and 
Persians,  as  well  as  the  Chaldeans,  should  be 
directed  to  Daniel  and  the  people  of  God. 
For  this  purpose  the  Lord  gave  up  Belshaz- 
zar to  his  profane  joy,  and  to  the  intoxication 
of  his  impiety ;  and  on  the  very  night  on 
which  he  was  to  be  cut  off,  and  in  the  midst 
of  the  festivities  of  a  public  banquet,  where 
were  assembled  all  the  principal  men  of  his 
empire,  he  sent  that  mysterious  handwriting, 
which  was  to  lead  to  the  introduction  of  tlie 
aged  prophet,  and  to  re-establish  his  reputa- 
tion. The  queen  appears ;  she  comes  to 
name  the  only  man  in  the  kingdom  who  can 
explain  these  awful  mysteries.  This  was 
Daniel ;  and  I  request  you  to  remark  the 
terms  in  which  she  expresses  her  OAvn  esti- 
mation of  this  man  of  God,  and  the  reve 


276  NINETEENTH    LESSON. 

rence  which  the  great  Nebuchadnezzar  had 
entertained  for  him.  "  0  king,  there  is  a 
man  in  thy  kingdom  in  whom  is  the  spirit  of 
the  holy  gods."  What  more  could  she  say 
in  her  heathen  language?  He  is  endowed 
with  noble  faculties  and  excellent  virtues ;  he 
is  more  than  a  man ;  "  the  spirit  of  the  holy 
gods  is  in  him."  The  heathens  believed  in 
good  and  evil  gods.  In  him  was  the  spirit 
of  the  good  gods. 

Hear  how  she  magnifies  the  genius  of 
Daniel.  "  In  the  reign  of  thy  father,"  (either 
Evil  Merodach,  who  reigned  only  two  years, 
or  rather  Nebuchadnezzar,  v/ho  occupied  the 
throne  forty-five,)  "light,  and  understanding, 
and  wisdom,  like  the  wisdom  of  the  gods, 
was  found  in  him;  he  interpreted  dreams, 
and  showed  hard  sayings  and  resolved 
doubts." 

Hear  again  the  homage  which  she  pays  to 
his  virtues.  "  An  excellent  spirit  was  found 
in  him."  His  heavenly  disposition,  his  hu- 
mility to  God  and  man  were  acknowledged  ; 
in  a  word,  the  "spirit  of  the  holy  gods." 
Hence,  adds  she,  "  the  king,  thy  father,  that 
is,  thy  grandfather,  whose  steps,  alas !  thou 
hast  not  followed,  made  him  master  of  all 
the  magicians,  soothsayers,  and  astrologers 
of  his  empire.  Now,  therefore,  0  king,  let 
this  Daniel  be  called,  and  he  will  show  the 
interpretation."  Here  we  remark  two  things. 

1.  That  Daniel,  who  had  been  known  as 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.        277 

a  great  prince  under  the  name  of  Belteshaz- 
zar,  as  soon  as  it  was  in  his  power,  resumed 
his  dearer  Jewish  name  of  Daniel ;  for,  like 
Moses,  "  he  chose  rather  to  suffer  affliction 
with  the  people  of  God,  than  to  enjoy  the 
pleasures  of  sin  for  a  season,  counting  the 
reproach  of  Christ  greater  riches  than  the 
treasures  of  Chaldea." 

2.  We  see  how  soon  the  court  of  Babylon 
forgot  the  important  services  which  the  gov- 
ernment of  Daniel  had  rendered  to  the  king- 
dom. His  name  is  scarcely  known  ;  the  old 
queen  alone  remembers  him — such  is  the 
favour  of  the  world !  Wo  unto  them  that 
labor  for  the  approbation  of  men !  They 
have  their  reward.  Mat.  vi.  2,  16. 

Therefore,  in  all  that  we  do,  not  only  for 
the  advancement  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  but 
also  for  the  temporal  benefit  of  our  fellow- 
men,  we  must  look  away  from  man  and  di- 
rect our  eyes  to  Jesus  alone  ;  we  must,  in  a 
manner,  forget  what  we  have  done ;  "  our 
left  hand  must  not  know  what  our  right  hand 
doeth ;"  otherwise  we  shall  have  our  reward 
in  this  world ;  for  the  Lord  holds  in  abhor- 
rence what  is  done  with  a  double  view,  with 
an  eye  to  him  and  an  eye  to  the  world — and 
this  miserable  reward  of  earth  will  profit  us 
nothing.  Those  whose  esteem  we  value  most 
will  soon  leave  us ;  and  even  if  they  do  not, 
they  are  changeable  and  ungrateful ;  they 
may  soon  forget  us.  Happy  for  Daniel,  that 
24 


278  NINETEENTH    LESSON. 

he  acted  not  from  worldly  motives ;  for  now 
he  is  old  and  forgotten;  Nitocris  alone  re- 
members him,  and  seems  to  know  that  there 
is  such  a  being  in  existence. 

Thus,  in  the  year  1538,  when  our  fore- 
fathers, in  a  moment  of  folly  and  ingratitude, 
into  which  they  were  betrayed  by  evil  dis- 
posed persons,  expelled  the  celebrated  John 
Calvin  from  Geneva,  that  man  of  God,  being 
informed  of  the  decree  of  the  general  coun- 
cil, calmly  replied,  "  Well !  had  I  served  man 
here,  I  might  complain  of  my  reward ;  but 
happily  I  have  laboured  for  a  master  who 
never  forgets,  and  is  never  ungrateful."  And 
what  was  the  result  ?  One  day,  while  the 
worthy  minister,  James  Bernard,  was  preach- 
ing at  Rive,  "  Seeing,"  as  he  tells  us  himself, 
"  the  congregation  in  the  deepest  affliction, 
and  all  the  people  melted  into  tears,  he  could 
not  refrain  from  exhorting  them  to  turn  with 
their  hearts  to  the  Lord,  and  in  reliance  on 
the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Pastor  of  pas- 
tors, to  supplicate  him  to  give  to  his  church 
a  spiritual  guide."  The  people  did  so  ac- 
cordingly with  great  devotion.  The  very 
next  day  the  council  of  five  hundred  assem- 
bled and  demanded  Calvin.  The  third  day 
the  general  assembly  met,  and  all  the  people 
cried  out,  "  Calvin,  Calvin !  We  want  Cal- 
vin, that  good  and  learned  man,  and  faithful 
minister  of  Jesus  Christ !"  Hence  the  excel- 
lent Bernard,  writing  to  him  at  Strasburg, 


THE  PSOPHET  DANIEL.       279 

to  entreat  him  to  yield  to  the  wishes  of  the 
people,  says :  "  0,  how  I  rejoice  to  see  that 
it  is  through  the  influence  of  the  Spirit  of 
God  that  the  people  now  a  second  time  re- 
cognise you  as  a  good  and  faithful  pastor  I 
Delay  not,  therefore,  venerable  father  in 
Christ  Jesus,  delay  not  to  come  and  see  Ge- 
neva, that  is,  a  new  people,  renewed  by  the 
grace  of  God." 

Yes,  my  dear  children,  do  all  for  Jesus 
Christ ;  for  while  men  remember  not  the 
trouble  which  you  take  for  them,  Jesus  for- 
gets nothing ;  yea,  he  even  tells  us  that  in 
the  last  day  a  cnp  of  cold  water  given  in 
his  name  shall  not  lose  its  reward.  Forget 
nothing,  do  I  say,  0,  my  God  !  Ah  !  while 
thou  rememberest  the  cup  of  cold  water, 
thou  forgettest,  for  the  sake  of  thy  Son,  the 
frightful  catalogue  of  our  sins !  Mat.  xxv. 
34_40. 

But  let  us  now  proceed  to  the  fourth  act 
of  this  great  drama,  for  the  history  of  this 
famous  night  presents,  as  it  were,  the  suc- 
cessive acts  of  an  imposing  tragedy. 

First  act,  a  magnificent  banquet,  joy,  splen- 
dour, beautiful  dresses,  delightful  singing,  en- 
chanting music. 

The  second  act  opens  like  a  flash  of  light- 
ning. Behold  a  hand,  silent  and  terrible, 
comes  out  upon  the  wall,  and  writes  :  Mene, 
Mene,  Tekel,  Upharsin.  The  king  is  seized 
with  horror — he  utters  a  piercing  cry — his 


280  NINETEENTH    LESSON. 

limbs  tremble — ^liis  countenance  is  changed — 
his  eyes  are  fixed — he  demands  the  wise 
men.  They  arrive,  the  same  terror  seizes 
them  likewise,  the  whole  assembly  is  thrown 
into  the  same  inexpressible  anguish. 

Third  act.  The  queen  enters;  all  is  si- 
lence ;  she  demands  Daniel. 

Fourth  act.  Daniel  arrives  !  What  a  mo- 
ment ;  the  entrance  of  this  aged  prophet  into 
the  midst  of  this  assembled  court !  There  are 
still  there  all  the  women  of  the  harem,  in 
their  extravagant  attire ;  but,  also,  there 
are  there  the  festive  tables ;  the  unhallowed 
remains  of  a  royal  debauch ;  the  golden  ves- 
sels of  the  temple  of  Jerusalem,  still  full  of 
the  wine  of  their  impure  libations ;  the  lamps, 
which,  amid  all  the  splendours  and  all  the 
abominations  of  that  palace,  beam  upon  a 
thousand  countenances  of  men,  with  terror 
depicted  in  every  feature,  upon  all  these 
weeping  women,  and  upon  the  king  himself, 
lately  so  joyous  and  so  proud,  but  now  trem- 
bling— gasping  for  breath — dejected.  But 
remember  that  all  this  took  place  beneath 
the  porticos  of  the  palace,  or  on  the  terraces 
by  the  great  river  Euphrates,  that  traversed 
the  city,  between  two  immense  quays,  which 
separated  the  royal  residences.  Night  reigned 
over  the  universe ;  the  stars,  in  silence,  pur- 
sued their  courses  in  the  heavens;  and  on 
earth,  in  the  camp  of  the  Medes  and  Per- 
sians, without  the  walls  of  Babylon,  not  a 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       281 

sound  was  heard  ;  the  hostile  army  ap- 
peared more  silent  and  more  tranquil  than 
ever ;  it  seemed  as  if  it  had  disappeared. 

And  now  Daniel  approaches  the  king  ;  he 
is  an  old  man,  grown  gray  with  years:  at 
first  the  presence  of  the  prophet  seems  to 
awaken  the  proud  contempt  of  Belshazzar, 
and  his  hatred  of  the  people  of  God.  At 
least  he  reminds  him,  in  his  first  question, 
that  he  is  only  a  captive  and  a  slave :  "  Art 
thou  that  Daniel  which  art  of  the  children  of 
the  captivity,  whom  the  king,  my  father, 
brought  out  of  Jewry  ?^'  ver.  13.  Seventy 
years  had  elapsed  since  the  commencement 
of  that  captivity,  and  he  had  not  forgotten 
it ;  but  it  was  a  much  shorter  time  since 
Daniel  had  rendered  the  most  important  ser- 
vices to  the  Babylonian  monarchy,  and  he 
had  forgotten  them  all :  "  I  have  even  heard 
of  thee,  that  the  spirit  of  the  holy  gods  is  in 
thee  ;  and  that  light,  and  understanding,  and 
excellent  wisdom  is  found  in  thee.  And 
now  the  wise  men,  the  astrologers,  have  been 
brought  in  before  me,  that  they  should  read 
this  writing,  and  make  known  unto  me  the 
interpretation  thereof;  but  they  could  not 
show  the  interpretation  of  the  thing.  And 
I  have  heard  of  thee,  that  thou  canst  make 
interpretations,  and  dissolve  doubts ;  now,  if 
thou  canst  read  the  writing,  and  make  known 
to  me  the  interpretation  thereof,  thou  slialt 
be  clothed  with  scarlet,  and  have  a  chain  of 

24* 


2S2  NINETEENTH  LESSON. 

gold  about  thy  neck,  and  thou  shalt  be  third 
ruler  in  the  kingdom.'^ 

The  sovereigns  of  Europe  think  they  con- 
fer happiness  upon  a  man  when  they  grant 
him  a  red  or  blue  riband,  to  be  worn  at  the 
button-hole.  In  China,  it  is  a  tassel  in  the 
cap.  Among  the  Turks,  it  is  the  tail  of  a 
fox,  or  of  a  horse,  which,  if  I  mistake  not,  is 
worn  behind  the  turban.  In  the  time  of 
Louis  XIV.,  there  were  those  who  died  of 
grief,  because  they  could  not  obtain  permis- 
sion to  wear  a  certain  little  vest,  with  certain 
little  buttons,  of  a  certain  form.  And  in  the 
days  of  Napoleon,  how  many  rushed  into 
the  jaws  of  death,  that  they  might  be  privi- 
leged to  wear  a  little  red  riband,  with  a 
little  medal  of  gold  enamel,  of  the  form  of 
a  star,  suspended  from  their  button  hole,  like 
that  which  the  children  of  our  schools  wear 
when  they  reach  the  first  form.  "  This  they 
do,"  saith  St.  Paul,  "  to  obtain  a  corruptible 
crown." 

But  hear  the  answer  of  Daniel,  with  which 
we  shall  conclude  our  present  lecture.  He 
draws  near  to  the  young  king.  He  had  wit- 
nessed, for  the  last  seventy  years,  all  the 
revolutions  of  the  kingdom;  he  had  lived 
forty-five  years  with  Nebuchadnezzar — his 
grandfather.  Hence  he  speaks  to  him  with 
respect  as  a  subject,  but  at  the  same  time 
with  the  authority  of  an  old  man,  and  a  pro- 
phet of  the  Lord. 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.        283 

Hear  him.  He  begins  by  refusing  the 
proffered  gifts  of  the  king.  He  is  no  merce- 
nary ;  he  is  a  servant  of  God  ;  he  has  reached 
the  close  of  his  career  ;  what  are  these  toys 
to  him  ?  The  end  of  the  Babylonian  empire 
is  at  hand ;  what  can  these  honours  profit 
him?  He  is  indignant  at  the  impiety  of  the 
young  king,  and  will  accept  of  nothing  from 
him ;  but  he  expresses  himself  with  reserve, 
though  with  a  respectful  severity.  He  has 
never  sought  either  silver  or  gold :  "  Let  thy 
gifts  be  to  thyself,  0  king."  Ah !  did  we 
too  consider  the  nearness  of  our  latter  end, 
we  would  have  the  same  indifference,  the 
same  contempt  for  the  gifts  of  this  world. 
We  would  say  to  it,  "  Let  thy  gifts  be  to  thy- 
self, 0  world !  give  them  to  others !  this 
night  thou  shalt  perish  ;  but  I  belong  to  that 
God  who  abideth  for  ever;  and  I  have  in 
heaven  '  a  better  and  more  enduring  sub- 
stance.' " 

After  this  refusal,  Daniel  enters  upon  his 
subject.  He  begins  by  referring  to  the  reign 
of  Nebuchadnezzar,  the  latter  years  of  which 
had  been  despised,  because  they  were  pious. 
This  is  not  a  vain  discourse ;  it  is  a  necessary 
part  of  the  interpretation  which  he  liad  to 
give.  He  describes  the  high  degree  of  glory, 
power,  and  honour  to  which  the  Lord  had 
exalted  his  father.  "  The  Most  High  gave 
him  a  kingdom,  majesty,  and  glory ;  and  all 
people,  nations,  and  languages  trembled  and 


284  NINETEENTH  LESSON. 

feared  before  him  !"  Indeed,  never  had  any 
heathen  prince  risen  to  such  a  pitch  of  glory, 
and  Daniel  takes  care  to  tell  his  successor  to 
so  much  power  that  it  was  God  who  gave  it 
to  him ;  it  was  not  his  genius,  nor  his  prow- 
ess, nor  his  courage,  nor  his  skill,  which 
doubtless  were  great ;  it  was  the  Most  High 
God,  the  God  of  gods,  as  Nebuchadnezzar 
himself  called  him. 

"  All  people,  nations,  and  languages  trem- 
bled and  feared  before  him."  His  genius 
and  his  power  subjugated  every  enemy  be- 
fore he  struck  a  blow — nothing  was  able  to 
resist  him.  Even  kings  kneeled  to  him  for 
life,  and  held  it  of  him.  In  his  empire  his 
nobles  had  no  voice  ;  he  had  power  of  life 
and  death  over  them  all.  Happy  are  we  not 
to  live  under  such  a  government ;  and  we 
ought  to  feel  it.  Millions  would  give  all  they 
possess  for  the  privileges  which  we  enjoy  in 
this  republic. 

"  But  when  his  heart  was  hfted  up,  and 
his  mind  hardened  in  pride,  he  was  deposed 
from  his  kingly  throne."  Such  is  the  effect 
of  pride ;  it  hardens  the  heart  against  the 
command  of  God  and  against  his  judgments ; 
it  hinders  conversion. 

"  He  was  deposed  from  his  kingly  throne, 
and  they  took  his  glory  from  him ;  and  he 
was  driven  from  the  sons  of  men ;  and  his 
heart  was  made  like  the  beasts;  and  his 
dwelling  was  with  the  wild  asses ;  they  fed 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.        285 

him  with  grass  like  oxen,  and  his  body  was 
wet  with  the  dew  of  heaven  ;  till  he  knew 
that  the  Most  High  God  ruled  in  the  king- 
dom of  men,  and  that  he  appointeth  over  it 
whomsoever  he  will." 

"  And  thou  his  son,  0  Belshazzar,  hast  not 
humbled  thine  heart,  though  thou  knewest 
all  this." 

With  these  words  let  us  terminate  our  les- 
son of  to-day ;  and  reserve,  until  next  Sun- 
day, the  remainder  of  Daniel's  address. 

But  before  concluding,  observe  that  on  this 
last  night  of  Belshazzar's  life,  the  prophet 
stands  forth  before  him  like  another  con- 
science, reminding  him  from  God  of  the  ex- 
amples, the  light,  the  mercies,  the  assistances 
which  had  been  afforded  him,  but  which  he 
had  so  grievously  abused  and  refused  to  ac- 
knowledge. 0  think  what  a  punishment, 
what  a  source  of  bitter  agony  will  this  voice 
of  remembrance  be  to  the  ungodly  in  the  last 
day,  when,  alas  !  too  late,  it  shall  make  itself 
heard,  and  bring  to  their  souls  nothing  but 
unavailing  regret  and  eternal  reproaches. 
How  will  the  recollection  of  so  much  grace 
despised,  so  many  privileges  neglected,  so 
man^^  opportunities  unimproved,  fill  them 
with  unceasing  anguish,  and,  like  the  gnaw- 
ing of  a  never-dying  worm,  prey  on  their 
inward  consciousness,  when  the  last  hour 
has  tolled,  and  time  shall  be  no  longer  ;  when 
all  shall  have  fled  for  ever,  and  the  riches  of 


286  NINETEENTH    LESSON. 

forbearance  shall  have  been  exhausted.  Ah  ! 
defer  not,  then,  my  friends,  defer  not  to  think 
of  your  advantages  until  that  day  when  you 
shall  be  separated  from  them,  and  they  from 
you  !  When  your  trial  shall  be  ended,  ended 
for  ever  !  What  other  torments,  what  other 
avenger  besides  memory,  will  be  wanted  to 
perpetuate  in  hell  the  weeping,  and  waihng, 
and  gnashing  of  teeth  of  the  lost  ?  Ah  !  this 
is  the  worm  that  never  dies,  the  fire  that  is 
never  quenched ;  frightful,  interminable  pun- 
ishment !  My  God !  a  thousand  times  T 
might  have  laid  hold  on  eternal  life,  and  I 
have  chosen  death  !  Hoav  often  has  my  Sa- 
viour stood  knocking  at  my  door,  and  cried  : 
Open  unto  me ;  my  child,  give  me  thine 
heart ;  besides  me  there  is  no  other  Saviour ; 
open  unto  me  !  and  I  would  not,  and  he  has 
gone  away,  and  he  will  no  more  return  !  and 
now  it  is  too  late  !  "  My  son,"  said  Abra- 
ham to  the  rich  worldling  in  torments,  "  my 
son,  remember  that  thou  in  thy  lifetime  re- 
ceivedst  thy  good  things — remember  !"  Then 
will  conscience  stand  forth  before  thee,  like 
Daniel  before  the  king  of  Babylon :  "  Thou 
his  son,  0  Belshazzar,  hast  not  hmnbled 
thine  heart,  though  thou  knewest  all  this  !" 
Remember  ! — remember,  young  woman,  the 
tears  with  which  thy  pious  parents  besought 
thee  to  come  to  Christ,  and  thou  hast  seen 
them  flow  unmoved !  Remember,  young 
man,  that  death  which  visited  thy  father's 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.        287 

house,  and  those  examples  which  the  Al- 
mighty has  placed  before  thine  eyes  !  Those 
solemn  scenes  of  affliction  he  introduced  into 
thy  family  to  bring  thee  to  himself !  Thou 
hast  seen  death  on  the  countenance  of  a 
brother,  a  sister,  an  uncle,  a  parent,  who  had 
besought  thee  to  give  thyself  to  Christ !  Like 
Beishazzar,  thou  hast  witnessed  conversions 
in  thy  family  !  And  what  hast  thou  done  ? 
Thou  hast  not  humbled  thine  heart !  Read 
Prov.  i.  20—33. 


TWENTIETH    LESSON. 
Daniel  v.  22 — 31. 

In  the  verses  of  this  day,  we  have  one  of 
the  most  important  events  in  history.  I  wish 
you  to  understand  it  thoroughly,  my  dear 
children,  not  only  that  you  may  derive  from 
this  chapter  all  the  edification  which  it  is  ca- 
pable of  aflfording  you,  but  further,  that  you 
may  be  enabled  to  read  with  more  intelli- 
gence and  with  more  profit  other  prophetic 
scriptures  relating  to  the  same  subject,  whe- 
ther in  Daniel  himself,  in  Ezekiel,  in  Isaiah, 
(ch.  xiii.  xiv.  xxi.  xliv.  xlv.  xlvi.  xlvii.)  or  in 
Jeremiah  (xxv.  1.  11.) 

To  those  who  have  not  taken  the  trouble 
of  studying  the  scriptiire  history  to  Avhich 
they  refer,  these  sacred  pages  may  be  ob- 
scure ;  but,  as  I  have  before  said,  they  shine 
with  light  and  beauty  to  the  peasant,  or  to 
the  child  who  reads  them  in  connexion  with 
the  contemporary  history  of  these  men  of 
God. 

Yes,  I  repeat  it ;  if  the  books  of  the  pro- 
phets are  obscure  to  Christians  of  the  present 
day,  they  are  themselves  in  fault.  The  ma- 
jority forget  that  one-half  of  the  scriptures 
is  prophetic ;  they  read  them  with  an  irre- 
288 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       289 

verent  and  almost  unbelieving  negligence  ; 
and  without  reflecting  that  they  were  written 
for  their  instruction  also,  and  for  the  confirma- 
tion and  strengthening  of  their  faith.  They 
are  more  desirous  of  finding  their  own  views 
and  ideas  in  them,  than  of  discovering  those 
of  God,  seeking  a  vague,  loose,  and  almost 
mystic  edification  in  them,  and  sometimes 
going  so  far  as  to  say :  "  I  do  not  like  the 
prophets ;  they  are  unintelligible  to  me ;  I 
have  no  taste  for  them."  Lord  !  pardon 
even  the  best  of  us  the  irreverence  of  our 
thoughts  !  Is  it  not  thou  that  hast  spoken  ? 
Did  not  Jesus  Christ  himself  continually  ap- 
peal to  Moses  and  the  prophets  ?  Has  he 
not  caused  it  to  be  written  in  the  very  first 
page  of  the  prophecies  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment :  "  Blessed  is  he  that  readeth  and  they 
that  hear  the  words  of  the  prophecy  of  this 
book,"  Rev.  i.  3  ;  and  in  the  last :  "  I  testify 
to  every  one  that  heareth  the  words  of  the 
prophecy  of  this  book,  if  any  man  shall  add 
unto  these  things,  God  shall  add  unto  him 
the  plagues  that  are  written  in  this  book. 
And  if  any  man  shall  take  away  from  the 
words  of  the  book  of  this  prophecy,  God 
shall  take  away  his  part  out  of  the  book  of 
life,  and  out  of  the  holy  city,  and  from  the 
things  which  are  written  in  this  book  ?" 

Ah  !  my  dear  children,  our  fathers,  in  the 
days  of  the  blessed  reformation,  did  not  che- 
rish such  foolish  thoughts  about  the  word  of 
25 


290  TWENTIETH    LESSON. 

God.  Though  people  were  then  less  enlight- 
ened m  worldly  knowledge  than  at  present, 
yet  did  even  children  and  artisans  devote 
themselves  to  the  study  of  the  Old  Testament 
prophecies.  And  it  was  these  wonderful 
predictions  concerning  Babylon  and  the  man 
of  sin,  that  supported  the  greater  part  of  our 
reformers  and  martyrs,  in  their  long  and  pain- 
ful conflicts.  I  purchased,  for  example,  at 
Geneva,  some  years  ago,  two  commentaries, 
by  Calvin,  in  old  French,  one  on  Jeremiah, 
another  on  Isaiah  and  Ezekiel.  The  names 
of  the  original  possessors  are  still  legible  on 
the  inside  of  the  cover.  On  one  of  the  vo- 
lumes is  written,  "  This  book  is  mine,  say- 
ettein^^  (a  name  given  to  weavers  of  small 
woollen  stuffs ;)  and  on  another,  "  My  book, 
Master  Rolet,  wool-carder,  Pelisserie ;"  and 
the  date,  1614,  leads  us  back  nearly  to  the 
time  of  the  escalade,  1602.  Such  were  our 
tradesmen  at  the  time  when  God,  by  his 
merciful  arm,  delivered  us  from  all  our  ene- 
mies, and  for  two  hundred  years  preserved 
us  as  an  oasis  of  truth  and  reformation  in  the 
midst  of  the  desert. 

But  let  us  return  to  Daniel,  and  let  us  be- 
gin by  referring  to  the  contemporary  history. 
I  shall  ask  you  a  few  questions  on  the  sub- 
ject. 

Who  reigned  in  Babylon  at  this  time  ? 
Whose  grandson  was  he  ?  What  year  before 
Christ  did  Nebuchadnezzar  begin  to  reign  ? 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  291 

What  age  was  Daniel  when  he  went  to 
Babylon  ?  How  old  was  he  when  he  ap- 
peared at  Belshazzar's  feast  ?  How  often  did 
Nebuchadnezzar  take  Jerusalem  ?  Whom 
did  he  appoint  king  of  the  Jews  after  the 
taking  of  that  city  ?  What  did  he  do  at  the 
end  of  the  third  siege  ? 

He  burned  the  city  and  temple  of  Jerusa- 
lem. 

Yes  ;  he  carried  off  the  sacred  vessels ; 
killed  all  the  children  of  the  king  in  his  pre- 
sence ;  and  removed  him  to  Babylon,  loaded 
with  chains,  having  previously  caused  his 
eyes  to  be  put  out. 

How  long  did  this  captivity  of  the  Jews 
last?  Seventy  years.  By  whom  was  this 
predicted  ?  By  Jeremiah,  chapters  xxv.  xxvii. 
and  xxix.  Who  were  the  three  prophets 
whom  the  Lord  raised  up  at  this  time  to  mi- 
prove  this  chastisement  to  the  people,  and  to 
predict  its  duration ;  and  when  did  they  re- 
spectively prophecy  ? 

Now,  dear  children,  it  is  important  for  you 
to  know  that  when  the  aged  Daniel  appeared 
before  the  king  of  Babylon,  amid  the  confu- 
sion of  his  festive  entertainment,  to  explain 
the  mysterious  handwriting  on  the  wall,  he 
was  acquainted  with  the  predictions  which 
Jeremiah  had  delivered  fifty-six  years  before. 
Jeremiah,  doubtless,  was  ah'eady  dead  ten  or 
twelve  years ;  for  he  was  twenty-eight  years 
older  than  Daniel,  while   Ezekiel  was  his 


292  TWENTIETH    LESSON. 

senior  only  by  four  or  five  years.  I  want  you 
to  read  two  or  three  predictions  of  those  great 
servants  of  God  before  we  go  further :  1st. 
Because  this  will  enable  you  better  to  per- 
ceive the  excellence  of  these  prophetic  pages, 
when  compared  with  history ;  and,  2dly,  it 
will  also  throw  light  upon  the  events  of  our 
lessons  to-day. 

And  first  read  Daniel  ix.  1—3.  From  this 
passage  we  learn  three  things. 

1.  That  though  Daniel  was  one  of  the 
greatest  of  the  prophets  of  the  Lord,  yet  he 
studied  with  reverence  the  writings  of  his 
contemporary  Jeremiah.  It  was  not  Jere- 
miah that  he  studied,  it  was  God :  and  I  will 
presently  show  you  something  still  more 
striking  in  Daniel  himself ;  you  shall  see  him, 
after  having  written  his  twelfth  chapter,  stu- 
dying, as  it  were  upon  his  knees,  his  own 
words,  that  is,  the  words  which  God  had  put 
into  his  mouth,  for  "  all  the  prophets,"  as  St. 
Peter  tells  us,  "  searched  what,  or  what  man- 
ner of  time,  the  Spirit  of  Christ  which  was  in 
them  did  signify,"  1  Pet.  i.  11. 

2.  Daniel  had  read  in  Jeremiah  that  the 
captivity  was  to  last  seventy  years.  It  began 
in  the  year  606  b.  c,  it  was  consequently  to 
end  in  the  year  536. 

3.  This  study  had  the  effect  of  stirring  up 
Daniel  to  fervent  prayer. 

Let  us  next  read  Jeremiah  xxix.  1 — 15. 
From  these  verses  we  learn,  that  the  year 


THE    PROPHET   DANIEL.  293 

before  the  accession  of  king  Zedekiah,  that 
is,  in  the  year  598,  when  Nebuchadnezzar 
took  Jerusalem  the  second  time,  that  holy 
man  wrote  a  letter  of  consolation  from  Jeru- 
salem to  his  brethren,  urging  them  to  submit 
to  their  lot  as  a  just  judgment  from  the  Lord, 
and  foretelling,  that  after  seventy  years,  their 
children  should  be  delivered  and  restored  to 
Jerusalem.  This,  no  doubt,  was  one  of  the 
chapters  of  Jeremiah,  which  the  venerable 
Daniel,  sixty-three  years  after,  read  and  pon- 
dered over  in  Babylon,  and  by  which  he  was 
led  to  pour  out  his  heart  before  the  Lord  in 
fervent  prayer  for  his  people. 

The  next  chapter  to  which  I  would  direct 
your  attention  is  the  fifty-first ;  it  is  one  of 
those  in  which  the  prophet  predicted,  fifty-six 
years  before  the  event,  the  sudden  and  terri- 
ble downfall  of  Babylon.  You  will  perceive, 
from  the  last  verses,  that  he  wrote  this  won- 
derful prediction  while  Jerusalem  was  yet 
standing,  in  the  fourth  year  of  king  Zede- 
kiah,  that  is,  594  b.  c.  Read  the  chapter, 
Jeremiah  li.  and  compare  xxv.  1.  and  Isaiah 
xiii.  xiv. 

We  have  here  a  most  exact  description  of 
tlie  manner  in  which  this  great  city  was  to 
fall.  In  tlie  middle  of  the  night,  while  the 
whole  city  was  plunged  in  security,  and 
given  up  to  rejoicings,  Cyrus,  with  his  ter- 
rible archer}^,  was  to  enter  by  the  bed  of  the 
Euphrates,    having    previously  turned    the 

25* 


294  TWENTIETH    LESSON. 

course  of  its  waters ;  the  gates  of  the  quays., 
which,  as  we  said,  ran  along  the  river  on 
both  sides,  were  to  be  left  open  through 
neglect  all  that  night;  and  the  whole  Per- 
sian army,  entering  the  city  on  foot  and  on 
horseback,  Avere  to  set  fire  to  the  Babylonian 
fleet ;  to  put  to  the  sword  all  the  armed  men ; 
and  to  slay  in  his  palace  the  king,  his  cap- 
tains, his  wise  men,  and  his  magistrates. 
"  For  I  will  make  them  drunken,"  saith  the 
Lord,  "  that  they  may  sleep  a  perpetual 
sleep,  and  not  wake."  The  enemies  of 
Babylon  were  "  to  fill  it  with  men  as  with 
caterpillars :"  "  the  slain  were  to  fall  in  the 
land  of  the  Chaldeans,  and  they  were  thrust 
through  in  her  streets ;  because  her  judgment 
reached  unto  the  heavens,  and  was  lifted  up 
even  unto  the  skies  ;"  they  were  to  set  up  a 
standard  upon  the  walls,  to  make  the  watch 
strong,  to  set  up  the  watchmen,  and  to  pre- 
pare ambushes ;  such  were  to  be  the  terror 
and  consternation  of  this  mighty  city,  that 
the  men  were  to  give  up  fighting  ;  they  were 
"to  become  as  women,"  and  to  allow  them- 
selves to  be  slain  as  sheep  for  the  slaughter ; 
and  while  Belshazzar  was  still  in  his  palace 
with  his  women,  his  officers,  and  his  thou- 
sand lords,  suddenly  he  was  to  be  told,  "Be- 
hold the  Medes!"  they  are  in  the  city,  we 
are  lost !  "  One  post  shall  run  to  meet  an- 
other, and  one  messenger  to  meet  another,  to 
show  the  king  of  Babylon  that  his  city  is 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  295 

taken  at  one  end,"  verses  31,  32  ;  and  how  ? 
"  the  passages  are  stopped,  and  the  reeds 
they  have  burned  with  fire ;"  for  the  Medes 
were  immediately  to  set  fire  to  the  ships  sta- 
tioned along  the  quays,  and  "  the  men  of  war 
were  to  be  affrighted/' 

When  Daniel  appeared,  in  the  middle  of 
the  night,  before  the  king  of  Babylon,  he 
had  read,  like  us,  this  chapter  of  Jeremiah  ; 
but,  moreover,  he  had  the  Spirit  of  God  en- 
abling him  to  interpret  to  the  unhappy  mon- 
arch the  handwriting  on  the  wall.  We  left 
off  last  Sunday  at  the  commencement  of  the 
prophet's  answer  to  the  king. 

The  officers  of  Belshazzar  had  come,  at 
midnight,  to  his  house  to  seek  him ;  the  old 
man  had  risen  from  his  bed  :  What  is  the 
matter  ?  What  do  they  want  with  me  ?  no 
doubt  he  exclaimed  !  The  king  calls  for  thee  ; 
the  whole  court  awaits  thee  ;  the  queen  Nito- 
cris  has  spoken  of  thee.  But  are  they  not 
plunged  to-night  in  riot  and  debauchery  ?  I 
have  even  heard  that  they  have  sent  for  the 
sacred  vessels  in  the  temple  of  Bel,  to  out- 
rage my  God :  What,  then,  do  they  want 
with  me  ?  Do  they  seek  my  life  ?  No  !  the 
king  is  in  great  consternation.  He  was  feast- 
ing, it  is  true,  in  the  midst  of  his  women,  and 
of  his  thousand  lords ;  but  while  the  wine 
flowed  in  abundance,  while  they  were  drink- 
ing, and  pouring  out  libations  to  their  idols, 
from  the  vessels  which  served,  seventy  years 


296  TWENTIETH    LESSON. 

ago,  in  the  temple  of  thy  God,  behold  !  there 
appeared  upon  the  wall,  opposite  to  where 
the  king  sat,  the  fingers  of  a  man's  hand, 
which  wrote  in  silence  upon  the  plaster  mys- 
terious characters.  Immediately  the  king 
uttered  a  scream  of  horror — his  limbs  re- 
fused to  bear  him — his  knees  smote  one 
against  another,  but  what  terrified  us  most 
of  all — ^liis  countenance,  bearing  marks  of 
despair,  is  horribly  changed.  The  wise  men 
have  been  sent  for  in  vain  ;  they  can  tell  no- 
thing. Finally,  the  queen  mother  made  her 
appearance,  and  counselled  the  king  to  send 
for  thee.  "  There  is  a  man,"  said  she,  "  in 
thy  kingdom  in  whom  is  the  spirit  of  the 
holy  gods;  it  is  Daniel."  Come,  then;  rise 
up,  and  delay  not  to  follow  me. 

The  aged  prophet  sets  out  without  delay, 
and  takes  the  way  to  the  palace.  As  quickly 
as  his  advanced  age  permitted,  he  traversed 
the  vast  streets  of  Babylon ;  the  night  was 
tranquil ;  the  people,  still  ignorant  of  what 
had  passed,  were  enjoying  themselves  in 
their  houses ;  but  in  heaven  the  stars  pur- 
sued in  silence  their  nightly  courses;  one 
would  have  supposed  that  the  countless,  tu- 
multuous squadi'ons  of  the  Medes  and  Per- 
sians had  retired,  and  that  their  cruel  archers 
had  withdrawn. 

The  prophet  enters  the  presence  of  the 
king :  the  thousand  lords  are  there — the  wo- 
men of  the  court — -the  golden  vessels  of  the 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       297 

temple,  full  of  wine  ! — but  opposite  the  king, 
on  the  wall,  are  visible  the  miraculous  words 
which  none  have  been  able  to  comprehend ; 
and  perhaps,  too,  the  terrible  hand  is  still 
seen.  The  whole  assembly  await,  with 
breathless  attention,  the  words  of  the  old 
man. 

"  0  thou  king,  the  Most  High  God  gave 
Nebuchadnezzar,  thy  father,  a  kingdom,  and 
majesty,  and  glory,  and  honour ;  but  when 
his  heart  was  lifted  up,  and  his  mind  hard- 
ened in  pride,  he  was  deposed  from  his 
kingly  throne,  and  they  took  his  glory  from 
him ;  he  became  deranged,  and  was  driven 
from  among  men  till  he  knew  that  the  Most 
High  God  ruled  in  the  kingdom  of  men,  and 
that  he  appointeth  over  it  whomsoever  he 
will !" 

And  now  here  our  verses  for  to-day  be- 
gin. 

"  And  thou,  his  son,  0  Belshazzar,  hast 
not  humbled  thine  heart,  though  thou  knew- 
est  all  this.^^  Such  is  the  first  rebuke  which 
the  prophet,  as  a  minister  of  God,  addresses 
to  the  king  in  presence  of  his  court :  he  did 
not  humble  his  heart,  though  he  knew  all 
the  history  of  Nebuchadnezzar  his  father. 
Here  we  see  what  is  most  offensive  in  the 
sight  of  the  Almighty — the  pride  of  the  crea- 
ture. "  The  proud,^^"  saith  David,  "  shall  not 
stand  before  thee  :  but  thou,  Lord,  savest  the 
humble  people."  "  God  resisteth  the  proud," 


298  TWENTIETH   LESSON. 

saith  St.  James,  "but  giveth  grace  to  the 
humble."  "  Behold,  the  day  cometh  that 
shall  burn  as  an  oven ;  and  all  the  proud — 
yea,  and  all  that  do  wickedly,  shall  be  as 
stubble  ;  and  the  day  that  cometh  shall  burn 
them  up,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts  V  Mai. 
iv.  1. 

But  think,  my  dear  children,  if  God  so 
severely  punished  pride  in  a  heathen,  with 
how  much  greater  rigour  will  he  visit  the 
same  fault  in  a  Christian ;  if  he  was  griev- 
ously offended  at  the  pride  of  the  king  of 
Babylon,  how  much  more  will  he  be  offended 
at  pride  in  one  of  you !  But  of  all  the  sins 
of  which  the  sinner  can  be  guilty,  that  which 
provokes  him  most  is  a  haughty  indiflerence 
under  the  visitations  of  his  judgments ;  in- 
sensibility to  the  chastisements  of  his  justice, 
such  as  some  sudden  death — some  solemn 
event — some  attack  of  illness,  which  seemed 
mortal.     But  let  us  hear  Daniel. 

'*  Thou  hast  lifted  up  thyself  against  the 
Lord  of  heaven  ;  and  they  have  brought  the 
vessels  of  his  house  before  thee,  and  thou 
and  thy  lords,  &c.,  have  drunk  wine  in  them 

and  thou  hast  praised  the  gods  of  silver 

and  gold,  of  brass,  iron,  Avood,  and  stone, 
which  see  not,  nor  hear,  nor  know.'^  Such 
is  the  second  crime  of  Belshazzar. 

In  a  word,  "  thou  hast  not  glorified  the 
God  in  whose  hand  thy  breath  is,  and  whose 
are  all  thy  ways.'^    Behold  the  whole  sin  of 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       299 

this  unhappy  prince  summed  up  in  a  few 
words  !  and  this,  my  brethren,  shall  be  the 
condemnation  of  all  the  unconverted  in  the 
last  day.  "  Their  breath  is  in  the  Lord's 
hand," — not  a  beat  of  their  heart — not  a 
respiration  of  their  lungs — not  a  hair  of  their 
heads,  that  they  do  not  hold  from  him  ; 
"  their  ways,"  also,  "  are  in  his  hand ;" 
wherever  they  go,  they  are  under  his  eye ; 
they  are  dependent  on  him  every  moment, 
by  day  and  by  night ;  if  they  go  up  to  hea- 
ven, he  is  there  ;  if  they  make  their  bed  in 
hell,  behold  he  is  there  also  :  if  they  take  the 
wings  of  the  morning,  and  flee  unto  the  ut- 
termost parts  of  the  sea,  he  is  there,  and  his 
right  hand  shall  hold  them. 

What,  then,  in  the  estimation  of  reason 
and  of  common  gratitude,  is  the  duty  of  such 
creatures  ?  What  is  their  safety,  their  glory, 
their  privilege,  and  their  happiness  ?  Ah  !  is 
it  not  to  honour,  serve,  follow,  fear,  and  love 
him  "  in  whose  hand  is  their  breath,  and 
whose  are  all  their  ways  ?"  And  herein,  we 
may  observe,  consists  the  sin  of  all  children, 
until  they  be  converted  to  God,  by  the  know- 
ledge of  Jesus  Christ,  that  they  do  not  glorify 
their  Creator ;  they  live  unto  themselves ; 
they  think  only  of  themselves.  In  the  morn- 
ing, when  they  rise  up,  their  thoughts  are 
only  about  themselves ;  in  the  evening,  when 
they  lie  down,  their  solicitudes  are  confined 
to  the  same  object.     But  the  child  who  has 


300  TWENTIETH    LESSON. 

received  Christ  Jesus  into  his  heart,  knows 
that  he  is  not  his  own;  desires,  above  all 
things,  to  glorify  him  who  so  loved  him ; 
feels  an  anxious  wish  to  serve  him,  and  says 
from  his  heart,  "  Our  father,  our  father,  hal- 
lowed be  thy  name  !"  Like  David  in  the  ciii. 
Psalm,  he  exclaims,  "  Bless  the  Lord,  0  my 
soul ;  and  all  that  is  within  me  bless  his  holy 
name  !  Bless  the  Lord,  0  my  soul,  and  for- 
get not  all  his  benefits !" 

Such  was  the  sin  of  Belshazzar ;  he  glo- 
rified not  God ;  therefore,  being  weighed  in 
the  balance  of  the  sanctuary,  "  he  was  found 
wanting."  And  thus,  in  the  day  of  judg- 
ment, shall  every  child  be  weighed  in  the 
same  balance  who  has  lived  in  this  world 
only  for  himself. 

"  Then,"  adds  the  prophet,  "  the  part  of  the 
hand  was  sent  from  him,"  (from  God,  in 
whose  hand  is  thy  breath  and  all  thy  ways,) 
"  and  this  writing  was  written." 

Ver.  25.  "  i^nd  this  is  the  writing  that  was 
written." 

It  would  appear  that  even  the  letters  in 
which  this  writing  was  written,  were  un- 
known to  the  Chaldeans.  Some  suppose 
them  to  have  been  the  old  Hebrew  charac- 
ters, like  those  of  the  Samaritans  in  the  pre- 
sent day,  with  which  the  Babylonians  were 
not  acquainted.  The  Hebrew  and  Chaldee 
languages  formed  two  dialects,  nearly  ap- 
proaching one  another,  like  the  English  and 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  301 

Danish,  Dutch  and  German,  &c.  These  aw- 
ful words  were  as  follows : — 

"  Mene,  Mene,  Tekel,  Upharsin." 

Each  of  these  words  appears  to  have  had 
two  significations,  one  in  Hebrew,  another 
somewhat  different  in  Chaldee ;  so  that  they 
became  equivalent  to  six  sentences,  six  ter- 
rible sentences. 

Mene :  in  Hebrew,  under  a  Chaldee  form, 
he  hath  numbered :  in  Chaldee,  he  hath  fin- 
ished. 

Tekel:  in  Chaldee,  he  hath  weighed:  in 
Hebrew,  thou  art  found  wanting  ! 

Upharsin :  U  means,  and ;  Pharsin,  or 
Parsin,  in  every  language,  means  the  Per- 
sians; but  it  is  also  the  Chaldee  present  par- 
ticiple plural  of  a  Hebrew  and  Chaldee  word 
which  signifies  to  divide. 

Hence  these  three  short  words,  the  first  of 
which,  for  the  sake  of  emphasis  is  repeated, 
mean : 

Mene,  Mene.  God  hath  numbered  thy 
kingdom,  God  hath  numbered  thy  kingdom  ; 
and  he  hath  put  an  end  to  it,  he  hath  put  an 
end  to  it ! 

Tekel.  Thou  art  weighed  in  the  balance 
and  found  wanting. 

Upharsin  :  and  thy  kingdom  shall  be  di- 
vided, and  given  to  the  Medes  and  Persians. 

It  might  have  been  feared  that  the  king, 
incensed  against  the  aged  prophet,  would 
commit  some  act  of  violence,  some  outrage 
26 


302  TWENTIETH    LESSON. 

apon  his  hoary  locks.  But  no ;  he  is  de- 
pressed, he  is  cast  down.  He  confers  upon 
Daniel  the  promised  reward.  Daniel  had  too 
much  respect  for  the  unhappy  prince,  who 
besides  was  his  sovereign,  unkindly  to  reject 
his  favours ;  but  he  knew  what  value  to  at- 
tach to  them.  The  fashion  of  this  kingdom 
was  passing  away ;  and  as  the  Christian  is 
commanded  to  do  with  the  things  of  this 
world,  "he  used  them  as  though  he  used 
them  not."  He  allowed  the  chain  to  be 
placed  about  his  neck,  and  the  scarlet  robe 
to  be  put  on  his  person.  But  what  were  the 
favours  of  the  king  of  Babylon  to  him  ?  That 
same  night  he  was  to  perish  by  the  sword  of 
the  Medes  !  "  A  sword  is  upon  the  Chalde- 
ans, saith  the  Lord,  and  upon  his  princes, 
and  upon  his  wise  men."  That  night,  which 
began  in  riotmg  and  blasphemy,  was  to  end 
in  terror  and  in  blood  ! 

I  shall  now  tell  you  what  happened. 

All  that  the  prophet  had  predicted  was  ful- 
filled to  the  letter  in  its  minutest  details.  Did 
time  allow  me  to  enter  at  large  into  the  sub- 
ject, and  to  relate  the  respective  accounts  of 
the  Greek  historian  Herodotus,  and  of  the 
general  Xenophon,  who  lived  200  years  after 
Cyrus,  you  would  see  with  admiration  what 
a  perfect  accordance  there  is  between  the 
prophets  and  the  historians,  as  to  the  great 
scenes  of  this  wonderful  transaction. 

The  kings  of  Media  and  Persia  being  con- 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  303 

federate  against  Babylon,  entrusted  the  com- 
mand of  their  armies  to  Cyrus  the  Great, 
according  to  the  predictions  of  Isaiah  and 
Jeremiah,  Isa.  xxi.  2.  Jer.  h.  11.  The  taking 
of  this  city,  however,  according  to  the  pro- 
phecies, was  not  to  be  the  work  of  the  Medes 
and  Persians  alone,  as  we  read,  Jer.  h.  27. 
"Set  up  a  standard  in  the  land,  blow  the 
trumpet  among  the  nations,  prepare  the  na- 
tions against  her,  call  together  against  her 
the  kingdoms  of  Ararat  (Upper  Armenia) 
Minni  (Lower  Armenia)  and  Ashchenaz," 
(Phrygia.) 

Hence  we  find  that  Cyrus,  having  subdued 
the  two  Armenia's,  and  gained  their  affec- 
tion by  his  generosity,  did  not  fear  to  incor- 
porate their  armies  with  his  own.  He  in- 
duced the  Hyrcanians  to  renounce  their 
alUance  with  Babylon  in  favour  of  him, 
subdued  the  powerful  Lydia,  also  Phrygia 
and  Cappadocia,  and  enrolled  their  soldiers 
under  his  banner.  In  a  word,  Xenophon 
informs  us,  that  by  his  noble  conduct  and 
mild  government,  he  turned  into  a  confede- 
racy against  Babylon  a  formidable  coalition 
of  powerful  nations,  which  had  existed 
against  himself 

As  soon  as  this  great  commander  arrived 
'    at  Babylon,  he  drew  up  his  army  around  it, 
and  made  the  circuit  of  it  on  horseback,  with 
his  numerous  staff,  to   ascertain  if  its  im- 
mense circumference  presented  any  point  of 


304  TWENTIETH    LESSON. 

attack ;  but  he  was  completely  disappointed : 
those  astonishing  walls  and  entrenchments 
which  seemed,  say  the  historians,  more  like 
a  bulwark  of  nature  than  a  work  of  man, 
bid  defiance  to  all  assault.  What  was  to  be 
done  ?  To  blockade  this  vast  city,  and  make 
its  multitudes  the  means  of  its  ruin ;  to  starve 
it  into  submission.  Cyrus,  fearing  lest  the 
sallies  of  the  Chaldeans  should  compromise 
the  safety  of  his  army,  presenting  such  an 
extended  front  around  the  walls,  began  by 
ordering  it  to  take  up  a  new  position,  which 
the  historian  Xenophon,  himself  one  of  the 
ablest  generals  of  his  day,  speaks  of  with 
the  greatest  admiration.  He  next  directed 
them  to  dig  a  deep  trench  round  the  city,  and 
to  erect  towers,  for  the  purpose  of  repelling 
the  assaults  of  the  enemy.  The  whole  army 
was  then  formed  into  twelve  divisions,  each 
to  defend  in  turn  these  stupendous  circum- 
vallations. 

Babylon  had  hitherto  been  in  the  hands  of 
God,  "  the  hammer  of  the  whole  earth,  to 
break  in  pieces  the  nations,  and  to  destroy 
kingdoms ;  they  were  terrible  and  dreadful," 
Hab.  i.  7.  their  horses  were  swifter  than 
leopards,  and  their  sight,  one  would  have 
said,  more  quick  than  that  of  the  evening 
wolf ;  their  horsemen  spread  themselves,  they 
flew  like  the  eagle  hastening  to  the  prey; 
they  scoffed  at  kings ;  princes  were  a  scorn 
unto  them ;  they  derided  every  strong  hold. 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  305 

But  now  they  are  shut  up  within  these  walls, 
their  horses  stand  in  their  stables,  they  have 
lost  their  wings ;  their  horsemen  walk  about 
in  the  streets ;  they  are  become  as  women. 
Seeing  the  hostile  army  drawn  up  around 
their  walls,  their  courage  failed,  and  they 
posted  themselves  behind  their  stupendous 
ramparts,  where  the  arrows  of  the  enemy 
could  not  reach  them.  Their  prince,  to  whom 
Cyrus  proposed  to  decide  the  contest  by  sin- 
gle combat,  dared  not  accept  the  challenge ; 
his  hands  had  waxed  feeble,  and  anguish  had 
taken  hold  of  him ;  their  gates  of  brass  re- 
mained shut  day  and  night ;  nor  did  they 
even  venture  to  attack  the  lines  of  the  ene- 
my, weakened  by  the  length  to  which  they 
were  drawn  out  in  surrounding  the  city.  In 
a  word,  historians  are  astonished  at  their 
timidity,  which  so  strikingly  contrasts  with 
their  former  bravery;  but  this,  too,  was  a 
subject  of  prophecy,  Jer.  li.  30. 

For  more  than  two  years,  Cyrus  cherished 
the  hope  of  reducing  the  besieged  by  famine  ; 
but  this  expectation  must  have  been  altoge- 
ther abandoned,  when  he  was  assured  that 
Babylon  contained  within  its  walls  fields  of 
surprising  fertility,  besides  provisions  for 
twenty  years.  Hence  the  inhabitants  laughed 
at  the  patience  of  the  Persians,  and  insulted 
them  from  their  ramparts. 

Thus  two  years  of  blockade  and  of  incre- 
dible labours  seemed  to  be  entirely  tln'own 
26* 


306  TWENTIETH    LESSON. 

away ;  the  army  began  to  grow  impatient ; 
they  imagined  the  city  impregnable ;  their 
hopes  were  encouraged  by  no  successes,  and 
the  anxiety  of  their  prince  increased  daily, 
when,  from  the  report  of  two  deserters,  he 
conceived  an  idea  at  once  the  most  novel  and 
the  most  adventurous.  This  was  to  enter 
Babylon  by  the  bed  of  that  very  river  Eu- 
phrates, which  seemed  to  constitute  its 
strength.  Cyrus  then  resolved  to  drain  off 
the  waters  of  the  river  into  the  broad  deep 
trenches  which  he  had  caused  to  be  dug  on 
each  side  of  it.  This  might  have  appeared 
a  task  as  rash  as  it  was  laborious.  The  river 
was  1200  feet  wide,  and  twelve  feet  mean 
depth ;  and  one  of  Cyrus'  wisest  counsellors 
assured  him,  that  he  would  find  Babylon 
better  defended  by  its  enormous  quays  than 
by  its  outer  walls.  He  was  not,  however, 
to  be  dissuaded ;  the  trenching  was  carried 
on  without  interruption,  under  his  own  in- 
spection ;  and  friends  and  enemies  were  both 
left  mider  the  impression  that  these  gigantic 
labours  were  intended  to  cut  off  all  commu- 
nication with  Babylon  from  Without;  and 
thus  to  starve  the  inhabitants.  "  Had  the 
besieged  suspected  the  designs  of  Cyrus," 
says  Herodotus,  "  or  had  they  even  disco- 
vered them  before  their  accomplishment,  the 
army  of  Cyrus  was  undone  ;"  they  had  only 
to  close  the  gates  of  the  quay  walls,  and  the 
Persians  would  have  been  taken,  as  it  were, 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  307 

in  an  ambuscade,  without  the  possibility  of 
an  escape.  Hence,  to  guard  against  such  a 
danger,  Cyrus  took  care  to  choose  for  the 
execution  of  his  plans,  the  night  of  their 
great  feast,  when  all  the  people  were  accus- 
tomed to  indulge  in  the  most  unbounded  ex- 
cesses. No  sooner  had  that  long  wished-for 
night  commenced,  than  the  dykes  were 
opened,  and  the  river  allowed  to  rush  with 
impetuosity  into  the  deep  channels  which 
had  been  formed  for  it.  The  waters  sunk  in 
their  ancient  bed,  and  immediately  the  Per- 
sians, amid  the  universal  silence,  poured  into 
it  their  innumerable  forces.  The  Lord  had 
said,  "A  draught  is  upon  her  waters,  and 
they  shall  be  dried  up,^'  Jer.  1.  38.  "  I  will 
dry  up  her  sea,  and  make  her  springs  dry," 
li.  36.  The  Chaldeans  were  taken  by  sur- 
prise ;  but  such  was  the  vastness  of  Babylon, 
says  Herodotus,  that  those  Avho  lived  at  one 
end  of  it  were  taken  and  slain,  before  the 
alarm  had  reached  the  centre.  Not  one  of 
its  hmidred  brazen  gates  had  been  forced; 
not  a  brick  displaced  in  its  immense  walls ; 
and  yet  Babylon  the  Great  was  filled  with 
enemies  as  numerous  as  the  locusts  which 
darken  the  sun  and  cover  the  fields,  when 
the  wind  of  the  desert  drives  them  before  it. 
Thus  was  accomplished  that  word  of  Jeho- 
vah, "  Babylon  is  suddenly  fallen  and  de- 
stroyed.   How  is  Sheshach  (Chaldea)  taken ! 


308  TWENTIETH   LESSON. 

and  how  is  the  praise  of  the  whole  earth 
surprised/'  &c.  See  Jeremiah  U.  8;  41,  42, 
43. 

At  the  approach  of  night,  Cyrus  had  ad- 
dressed his  troops.  "  Those  of  the  enemy,'' 
said  he,  "  who  are  not  intoxicated,  are  asleep, 
and  Babylon  is  all  in  confusion."  As  soon 
as  the  Persians  got  into  the  city,  they  slew 
the  most  vigilant  of  the  soldiers  stationed 
near  the  gates,  pursued  others  from  street  to 
street ;  and  in  some  places,  even  joining  the 
grotesque  crowds  of  masqueraders  which 
they  met,  as  if  the  work  of  murder  was  only 
one  of  the  pastimes  of  that  night,  they  has- 
tened to  gain  the  imperial  palace  by  the 
shortest  road.  They  arrived  there  before  the 
messengers,  who  had  been  sent  to  announce 
to  the  king  of  Babylon  that  the  city  was 
taken  at  one  end.  "  Though  Babylon  should 
mount  up  to  heaven,  and  though  she  should 
fortify  the  height  of  her  strength,  yet  from 
me  shall  spoilers  come  unto  her,  saith  the 
Lord,"  Jer.  1.  53.  The  gates  of  the  palace, 
which  alone  formed  a  powerful  fortress  in 
the  midst  of  the  city,  were  shut,  it  is  true ; 
but  the  guard,  placed  there  to  defend  it,  were 
occupied  in  drinking  round  a  fire  which  they 
had  kindled  in  the  public  square.  Suddenly 
a  panic-struck  multitude  rushes  in  upon 
them;  the  Persians,  sword  in  hand,  are  in 
the  midst  of  them ;  cries  of  terror  and  de- 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       S09 

spair  rend  the  heavens ;  they  no  longer  re- 
semble shouts  of  merriment,  they  reach  the 
palace,  they  are  heard  in  the  halls  and  sa- 
loons of  that  royal  abode.  It  was  only  there 
that  the  prince  and  his  nobles,  by  the  light 
of  that  fire  which  the  guard  had  kindled, 
beheld  a  scene  of  tumult  and  carnage  which 
they  were  utterly  unable  to  explain. 

On  seeing  this,  the  king,  who  imagined  it 
only  to  be  a  drunken  fray,  ordered  his  guards 
immediately  to  go  and  repress  it,  and  to  pun- 
ish the  refractory.  They  open  the  folding 
gates  of  the  palace,  and  immediately  the 
Persians  rush  in.  In  a  moment  the  king,  the 
princes,  the  governors,  the  officers,  the  cap- 
tains, and  the  whole  of  that  multitude,  pass 
at  once  from  the  arms  of  intoxication  into 
the  arms  of  death.  "  I  will  make  drunk  her 
princes,  and  her  wise  men,  and  her  captains, 
and  her  rulers,  and  her  mighty  men;  and 
they  shall  sleep  a  perpetual  sleep,  and  not 
wake,  saith  the  king,  whose  name  is  the  Lord 
of  Hosts.  I  will  bring  them  down  like  lambs 
to  the  slaughter,  like  rams  with  he-goats. '^ 
Jer.  li.  57,  40. 

Cyrus,  Xenophon  tells  us,  sent  troops  of 
cavalry  to  scour  the  streets,  and  to  put  to  the 
sword  every  one  whom  they  met.  At  the 
same  time  he  caused  a  proclamation  to  be 
read  in  different  parts  of  the  city,  in  the  Sy- 
riac  or  Chaldee  language,  commanding  all 


SIO  TWENTIETH   LESSON. 

the  inhabitants  to  remain  in  their  houses  on 
pain  of  being  put  to  death  without  mercy. 
Thus  were  accomplished  the  words  of  Jere- 
miah the  prophet.  "  A  sound  of  a  cry  cometh 
from  Babylon,  and  great  destruction  from  the 
land  of  the  Chaldeans,"  li.  54.  See  also  3, 4 ; 
1.  42. 

The  city  being  taken,  and  the  fleet  burned 
in  the  drained  bed  of  the  Euphrates,  Cyrus 
held  a  review  of  his  cavalry  before  the  whole 
population  of  Babylon,  in  the  streets  and 
squares  of  the  city.  Four  thousand  horse  of 
the  royal  guard  were  stationed  before  the 
gates  of  the  palace,  and  2000  on  either  side. 
As  soon  as  he  appeared,  they  marched  be- 
fore him,  followed  by  2000  lancers.  After 
these  picked  regiments,  four  great  divisions 
advanced,  each  of  10,000  horse;  and  in  the 
rear  of  these  formidable  squadrons  marched 
in  beautiful  order,  first,  the  cavalry  of  the 
Medes,  then  that  of  the  Syrians,  Hyrcanians, 
and  others.  Lastly,  2000  war  chariots,  four 
abreast,  closed  this  imposing  march.  Some 
time  after,  Cyrus  held  a  review  of  his  whole 
army  in  Babylon.  It  consisted,  say  the  his- 
torians, of  120,000  horse  and  600,000  foot. 

Thus  fell  Babylon,  the  scourge  of  the  na- 
tions, the  hammer  of  the  whole  earth,  the 
proud,  cruel,  impregnable  city,  which  hitherto 
had  never  seen  within  its  walls  other  ene- 
mies but  the  vanquished  and  the  captive. 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  311 

Contrary  to  all  expectation,  it  was  taken ; 
and  the  day  after  the  riotous  festival  of  its 
gods,  it  was  filled  with  a  conquering  host, 
more  numerous  than  the  locusts  of  the  de- 
sert, which  seemed  to  have  come  down  into 
it  as  it  were  on  wings. 


TWENTY-FIRST    LESSON. 
Daniel  vi.  1 — 10. 

What  a  grand,  what  an  affecting  subject 
we  are  called  to  meditate  on  this  day  !  what 
a  beautiful  counterpart  does  it  form  to  that 
which  is  presented  to  us  in  the  first  chapter  ! 
There  we  have  the  faithfulness  of  Daniel,  a 
youth  of  fourteen ;  here  we  have  the  faith- 
fulness of  the  same  Daniel,  an  old  man  with 
hoary  locks.  May  you,  my  friends,  like  him, 
be  found  faithful  in  the  morning  of  your 
days ;  for  then,the  Lord  hath  sworn,  and  he 
will  surely  keep  his  word,  then  you  shall  be 
faithful  in  the  evening  of  life,  at  the  hour  of 
rest,  when  you  are  about  to  go  down  be- 
neath the  horizon  of  this  world,  to  rise  on 
the  other  side,  radiant  with  glory,  in  the  new 
heavens  and  new  earth,  wherein  dwelleth 
righteousness. 

The  scriptures  compare  the  course  of  the 
righteous  to  that  of  the  glorious  orb  of  day. 
"  The  path  of  the  just  is  as  a  shining  light, 
which  shineth  more  and  more  unto  the  per- 
fect day,"  Prov.  iv.  18.  Such  was  the  career 
of  the  blessed  Daniel.  One  loves  to  contem- 
plate his  youth  and  his  old  age  together ;  it 
does  one  good. 
313 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  313 

It  is  a  beautiful  sight  to  behold  the  rising 
sun,  on  a  fine  fresh  morning,  appearing  above 
the  peaks  of  our  Alps,  and  diffusing  his  golden 
rays  through  the  expanse  of  heaven,  till  every 
object  from  one  horizon  to  the  other  is  illu- 
mined by  his  light.  But  not  less  beautiful  is 
it  to  behold  that  same  bright  luminary,  when, 
after  a  day  of  clear  simshine,  he  finishes  his 
career  behind  the  Jura,  tinging  the  sky  with 
his  last  hues,  and  seems  to  descend  beneath 
the  earth,  to  illumine,  in  other  climes,  the 
empires  of  the  west,  the  plains  of  Peru,  and 
the  verdant  isles  of  the  ocean. 

Consider  this  royal  youth,  the  beloved 
Daniel,  so  beautiful  in  countenance.,  and  so 
full  of  the  Spirit  of  God :  he  leaves  Jerusa- 
lem in  chains,  and  under  the  conduct  of  a 
Chaldean  general;  but  in  heart  devoted  to 
his  God  and  Saviour,  and  sincerely  desirous 
to  glorify  him.  He  is  the  sun  of  holiness  and 
happiness  rising  upon  Chaldea. 

And  now  contemplate  this  same  Daniel 
with  hoary  locks  before  his  window  in  Baby- 
lon. He  is  eighty-five  years  of  age ;  three 
times  a  day  he  enters  his  chamber,  and  be- 
fore that  open  window,  which  looks  towards 
Jerusalem,  he  kneels  down,  and  stretching 
forth  his  hands  towards  the  holy  city,  he 
prays  and  gives  thanks  to  his  God.  He  has 
heard  of  the  king's  letter ;  and  he  knows  of 
the  den  of  lions ;  but  he  serves  the  King  of 
27 


314  TWENTY-FIRST   LESSON. 

kings,  and  his  heart  is  full  of  love,  peace,  and 
joy.     0  what  a  beautiful  setting  ! 

Well,  then,  my  friends,  happy  the  child 
that  begins  his  life,  like  Daniel,  with  faith- 
fulness ;  happy,  thrice  happy  the  man  who 
ends  it,  like  him,  with  obedience,  with  prayer, 
and  with  a  heart  that  cries  within  him : 
Abba  Father!  Abba  Father!  Jesus  Christ, 
Jesus  Christ !  But  let  us  commence  the  ex- 
position of  our  chapter,  verse  by  verse. 

"  It  pleased  Darius  to  set  up  over  the  king- 
dom an  hundred  and  twenty  princes,  which 
should  be  over  the  whole  kingdom;  and 
over  these  three  presidents,  of  whom  Daniel 
was  the  first ;  that  the  princes  might  give  ac- 
counts to  them,  and  the  king  should  have  no 
damage." 

You  will  remember,  that  two  years  before, 
the  powerful  kingdom  of  Babylon  had  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  the  victorious  Cyrus ;  the 
city  had  been  entered  at  midnight  by  the  in- 
vaders ;  the  king,  Belshazzar,  who  had  gone 
out  sword  in  hand  to  meet  them,  had  perish 
ed ;  and  when  the  morrow's  sun  arose,  it 
was  to  illumine  the  commencement  of  the 
bloody  empire  of  the  Medes  and  Persians : 
the  golden  monarchy  had  ceased;  that  of 
silver  had  begun. 

Historians  tell  us,  that  Darius  the  Mede, 
(also  called  Cyaxares,  the  uncle  and  father- 
in-law  of  Cyrus,  and  the  son  of  Astyages,  or 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  315 

Ahasuerus,)  who  was  about  sixty  years  of 
age,  was  not  present  with  the  army,  but  was 
in  Media.  Cyrus,  the  Persian,  though  the 
conqueror  of  Babylon,  did  not  reign  ostensi- 
bly either  over  the  Medes  or  Persians ;  for 
both  his  father  and  mother  were  still  alive. 
Therefore,  after  his  victory,  he  paid  a  visit 
to  his  parents  in  Persia,  and  returned  with 
his  uncle  to  regulate  the  affairs  of  their  im- 
mense empire.  He  held  a  review  of  his  nu- 
merous armies  in  the  plains  of  Babylon ;  and 
as  I  have  already  said,  they  amounted  to 
120,000  horse,  600,000  foot,  and  2000  war 
chariots,  armed  with  scythes.  Formerly  such 
accounts  of  the  ancient  historians  were  looked 
upon  with  great  suspicion ;  but  since  the 
wars  of  Napoleon,  there  appears  nothing  in- 
credible in  them;  for  it  was  with  a  force 
Httle  inferior  that  this  great  general  crossed 
the  Niemen  twenty-four  years  ago,  and  en- 
tered the  vast  Russian  empire,  to  his  utter 
ruin.  Cyrus,  however,  was  obliged  to  cede 
the  first  place  to  his  uncle,  Darius,  who 
reigned  only  two  years  over  the  Babylonian 
empire ;  and  he  himself  departed  to  lead  hi^ 
army  to  the  shores  of  the  Red  Sea.  It  was 
in  his  absence  that  Daniel  was  cast  into  the 
den  of  lions. 

You  can  conceive  that  after  the  taking  of 
Babylon,  all  classes  were  occupied  with  the 
predictions  of  Daniel.  Had  he  not  read  the 
mysterious  words  on  the  wall,  and  predicted 


816  TWENTY-riRST    LESSON. 

to  the  king,  the  very  night  of  his  fall,  and  in 
the  presence  of  his  court,  ever3rthing  that  had 
happened  ?  Besides,  he  had  long  heen  known 
in  the  empire  for  his  wisdom,  his  probity,  his 
presence  of  mind,  and  elevation  of  character. 
He  had  displayed  an  incomparable  talent  for 
government ;  and  it  was  known,  that  for  half 
a  century,  he  had  served  the  great  Nebu- 
chadnezzar with  equal  success  and  disinter- 
estedness. 

Therefore,  when  the  princes  of  the  Medes 
and  Persians  had  divided  their  vast  empire 
into  120  provinces,  to  be  governed  by  120 
satraps,  and  when  they  appointed  over  these 
again  three  ministers  of  state,  to  watch  over 
the  administration,  and  take  account  of  all 
matters,  one  of  these  latter  posts  was  assigned 
to  Daniel.  It  has  ever  been  a  principal  talent 
of  persons  of  great  genius  to  be  able  to  se- 
lect suitable  men  for  their  service.  This  was 
the  case  with  Nebuchadnezzar,  Alexander 
the  Great,  Charlemagne,  Napoleon,  and  also 
Cyrus.  And  in  your  prayers,  my  friends, 
you  should  never  forget  to  implore  the  Al- 
mighty to  give  the  Spirit  of  wisdom  to  rulers 
and  governors,  that  they  may  seek  for  their 
counsellors,  and  be  able  to  find  men  fearing 
God  and  anxious  for  his  glory.  When  the 
Lord  would  punish  a  people,  he  says :  "  I 
will  give  children  to  be  their  princes,  and 
babes  shall  reign  over  them,"  Isa.  iii.  4. 

"  Then  this  Daniel  was  preferred  above 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  317 

the  presidents  and  princes,  because  an  excel- 
lent spirit  was  in  him ;  and  the  king  thought 
to  set  him  over  the  whole  realm. '^ 

From  this  last  circumstance,  we  may  judge 
of  the  exalted  reputation  which  Daniel  en- 
joyed, and  of  the  gifts  which  he  displayed 
even  in  his  old  age.  What  an  excellent 
spirit,  to  use  the  language  of  the  text,  must 
he  have  possessed!  that  is,  not  only  what 
profound  wisdom,  vast  capacity,  and  exten- 
sive knowledge ;  but  also  what  decision,  in- 
tegrity, and  equanimity,  for  the  princes  of 
the  Medes  and  Persians  to  think  of  putting 
at  the  head  of  so  powerful  an  empire — a 
man,  a  stranger,  a  Jew,  a  captive,  a  servant 
of  their  enemies,  and  moreover  an  old  man, 
now  eighty-five  years  of  age  at  least ! 

We  may  also  observe,  in  passing,  that 
Daniel  must  likewise  have  enjoyed,  in  his 
old  age,  an  extraordinary  vigour  of  mind 
and  body,  to  be  capable  of  sustaining  the 
burden  of  such  a  government.  God,  no 
doubt,  was  pleased  to  confer  these  precious 
gifts  upon  his  servant,  to  fit  him  to  become 
the  mstrument  of  his  purposed  mercies  to- 
wards the  children  of  Israel.  Daniel  had 
long  been  their  protector  in  this  strange  land ; 
and  further,  it  was  chiefly  through  his  influ- 
ence that  Cyrus  was  to  be  led  to  publish  the 
decree  for  the  restoration  of  the  people,  and 
the  rebuilding  of  their  city  and  temple. 

But  what  I  would  principally  call  your 
27* 


318  TWENTY-FIRST   LESSON. 

attention  to  here,  is  the  faithfulness  of  God 
towards  those  who  give  themselves  up  to 
Him  in  their  youth.  Ah  !  he  never  forsakes 
such ;  he  preserves  them  amid  all  difficulties ; 
he  leads  them  through  the  longest  life,  and 
suffers  not  the  wicked  one  to  pluck  them  out 
of  his  hand,  John  x.  27 — 30. 

Thus  did  the  Lord  keep  and  preserve  his 
servant  Daniel,  in  Babylon,  amid  all  the  dan- 
gers and  temptations  of  an  idolatrous  court ; 
all  the  fascinations  of  wealth  and  magnifi- 
cence, and  all  the  snares  of  power  and  great- 
ness. Behold  this  governor  of  Babylon,  this 
man  who  had  governed  for  fifty  years  under 
Nebuchadnezzar ;  behold  this  ruler  of  a  third 
part  of  the  empire,  whom  Darius  proposes 
to  place  at  the  head  of  his  vast  empire — 
Where  is  he  ?  How  is  he  employed  ?  He  is 
before  his  window,  on  his  knees,  three  times 
a  day,  praying  and  praising  his  God,  and  de- 
termining to  give  himself  up  to  be  devoured 
by  wild  beasts ;  he  holds  his  hfe  as  it  were 
in  his  hand,  and  presents  it,  with  tears  of 
gratitude  and  joy,  to  his  God  and  Saviour  ! 

Yes,  my  children,  and  thus  shall  you  be 
"  kept  by  the  power  of  God  through  faith,'' 
even  unto  hoary  hairs,  and  unto  the  marriage- 
supper  of  the  Lamb,  if  you  now  give  your- 
selves up  sincerely  to  the  Lord  Jesus,  as  his 
people,  his  sheep,  his  redeemed.  He  hath 
promised. 

And  what  I  have  just  now  said  reminds 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  319 

me  of  the  good  Polycarp,  the  fellow-disciple 
with  Ignatius,  of  the  apostle  John.  Like 
Daniel,  at  the  age  of  eighty-six,  he  was  con- 
demned to  be  devoured  by  wild  beasts,  for 
the  sake  of  Christ ;  but  the  hon  not  being 
ready,  the  people  cried  out,  "  Burn  him ! 
Burn  him !"  They  tore  down  the  doors  and 
windows,  and  setting  them  on  fire,  burned 
him.  This  Polycarp  had  given  his  heart 
unto  the  Lord  in  his  youth,  and  under  very 
afflictive  circumstances.  He  had  been  taken 
in  war,  and  sold  to  an  excellent  Christian 
lady,  named  Calista,  by  whom  he  was  in- 
structed in  the  gospel.  During  his  childhood 
and  early  youth,  he  had  frequently  heard  the 
aged  apostle  John,  with  Ignatius  and  Pa- 
phias;  and  after  the  death  of  Calista,  he 
went  to  spend  some  time  with  him  in  the 
vicinity  of  Smyrna,  in  which  city  he  subse- 
quently became  the  pastor  of  the  Christians. 
When  the  soldiers  of  the  emperor  came  to 
seize  him  in  the  country,  whither  he  had  re- 
tired, they  were  struck  with  his  venerable 
appearance.  He  offered  them  refreshments, 
and  meekly  requested  permission  to  retire 
for  a  short  time  for  meditation ;  and  he  spent 
two  hours  in  fervent  prayer.  When  he  had 
finished,  they  set  him  on  an  ass,  and  after- 
wards put  him  upon  a  car,  from  whence  the 
magistrate  threw  him  with  such  violence, 
that  hi^  thigh  was  broken.  On  his  appearing 
before  the  pro-consul,  he  commanded  him  to 


320  TWENTY-FIRST    LESSON. 

cry,  «  Down  with  the  atheists  !"  Avhich  was 
the  name  at  that  time  appUed  by  the  pagans 
to   Christians.     Immediately  the    venerable 
Potycarp,  stretching  out  his  hand,  and  raising 
his    eyes  to   heaven,   said  with  solemnity, 
''  Down  with  the  atheists  V  Now  deny  Christ, 
said  the  magistrate,  and  I  will  release  thee! 
"Eighty  and  six  years,"  said  he,  "have  I 
served  him,  and  he  never  did  me  aught  but 
good ;  how,  then,  shall  I  blaspheme  my  King 
and  my  Saviom-  ?  If  you  know  it  not  aheady, 
hear ;   I  am  a   Christian !"    "I   have  wild 
beasts  prepared,''  said  the  pro-consul.    "  Call 
them,"  replied  the  martyr;  "we  Christians 
are   determined  not  to   exchange  good  for 
evil."     "  I  will  tame  you  with  fire,  if  you 
despise  the  wild  beasts."     "You  threaten 
me  with  fire  which  burns  for  an  hour ;  but 
you  know  not  of  that  eternal  fire  which  is 
reserved  for  the  ungodly  in  the  day  of  iudff- 
ment."  J'       J     5 

But  to  return  to  Daniel,  such  being  the  ex- 
cellence of  his  character,  you  can  conceive 
the  envy  with  which  his  prosperity  must 
have  inspired  the  great  men  of  the  Medes 
and  Persians.  What !  a  stranger,  a  captive, 
an  old  man  of  eighty-five,  a  Jew,  a  fanatic' 
who  despises  our  gods,  preferred  before  us  ! 

"  Then  the  presidents  and  princes  sought 
to  find  occasion  against  Daniel  concerning 
the  kingdom;"  some  oversight,  some^  act  of 
injustice,  or  of  partiality,  or  at  least  some 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  321 

error ;  but  they  could  not  find  in  him  any 
occasion,  or  fault ;  "  forasmuch  as  he  was 
faithful,  neither  was  there  any  fault  found  in 
him."  What,  then,  did  they  do  ?  Then  said 
these  men,  "  We  shall  not  find  any  occasion 
agaiast  this  Daniel,  except  we  find  it  against 
him  concerning  his  God." 

0!  what  a  testimony  have  their  greatest 
enemies  ever  been  constrained  to  render  to 
the  people  of  God !  They  sought  some  fault 
in  them,  but  they  found  none.  Thus  Louis 
XII.,  speaking  of  the  Vaudois  of  Provence, 
whom  the  priests  of  Rome  put  to  death  in 
thousands,  exclaimed  with  an  oath,  as  he 
was  accustomed,  "  These  miserable  wretches 
are  more  honest  than  I  and  my  people !" 
And  such,  my  friends,  should  Christian  chil- 
dren be.  They  may  often  find  it  difficult  to 
live  and  act  consistently;  they  may  meet 
with  contempt,  reproach,  and  ridicule,  from 
other  children  with  whom  they  are  obliged 
to  associate  ;  all  this  is  hard ;  but  if  they  be 
Christians,  indeed,  they  will  remember  that 
they  must  give  no  occasion  to  others  to  speak 
against  them,  "  except  it  be  concerning  their 
God."  Let  them  be  gentle,  diligent,  and 
true ;  respectful  to  their  teachers,  good  na- 
tured  and  obliging  to  their  companions ;  kind 
and  courteous  to  all.  Then  it  matters  not 
what  others  may  say  of  them ;  they  may  call 
them  Methodists,  hypocrites,  fools,    Bible- 


322  TWENTY-FIRST    LESSON. 

readers — but  let  them  answer  like  Polycarp, 
"  I  am  a  Christian !"  Luke  vi.  22 ;  Mat.  v. 
11 ;  1  Peter  ii.  12.  But  if,  on  the  contrary, 
while  we  profess  to  be  Christians,  if,  while 
we  read  the  Bible,  pray,  and  attend  religious 
meetings,  worldly  people  see  us  to  differ  no- 
thing from  others ;  if  they  discover  in  us  the 
same  faults  and  the  same  vices ;  slothfulness, 
levity,  pride,  ill-temper,  bitterness,  vanity, 
insincerity,  avarice,  and  such  like ;  0  Avhat 
a  reproach  do  we  bring  on  the  gospel !  Paul, 
Avriting  to  such  professing  Christians,  says, 
"  For  your  sakes  is  the  name  of  God  blas- 
phemed among  the  Gentiles ;"  and  our  Lord 
himself  hath  said,  "  Whosoever  shall  offend 
(put  a  stumbling  block  in  the  way  of)  one  of 
these  little  ones,  better  were  it  for  him  that  a 
millstone  were  hanged  about  his  neck,  and 
that  he  were  cast  into  the  depth  of  the  sea." 

"  Then  these  presidents  and  princes  assem- 
bled together  unto  the  king."  ver.  9. 

There  was,  we  may  presume,  either  at 
Babylon  or  Susa,  some  assembly  of  the  no- 
bles of  the  empire,  which  the  enemies  of 
Daniel  took  advantage  of,  to  plot  his  ruin ; 
proposing  this  absurd  decree  to  the  king  as  a 
test  of  the  obedience  of  the  nations  recently 
conquered  by  his  arms : 

"  We  have  unanimously  agreed,  0  king, 
that  such  a  decree  would  be  attended  with 
the  most  happy  consequences,  inasmuch  as 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  323 

it  would  bind  all  your  subjects  more  firmly 
to  your  government,  and  to  your  royal  and 
sacred  person,  accustoming  them  to  regard 
the  king  of  the  Medes  and  Persians  as  a 
being  more  than  human,  claiming  their  reli- 
gious homage.^' 

Absurd  and  impious  as  was  this  proposal, 
dear  children,  it  need  not  astonish  you ;  such 
are  the  lengths  to  which  the  pride  and  wick- 
edness of  the  human  heart  have  gone.  Did 
not  Nebuchadnezzar  claim  divine  honours  ? 
Did  not  Alexander  the  Great  pretend  to  be  a 
god,  the  son  of  a  god  ?  Did  not  the  Roman 
emperors,  yea,  even  the  first  Christian  empe- 
rors, require  themselves  and  their  images  to 
be  worshipped  ?  And,  in  our  own  day,  does 
not  the  Pope  lay  claim  to  religious  homage  ? 
He  is  called  Dens  in  terra,  God  on  earth ; 
and  at  his  consecration  he  is  fumed  with  in- 
cense— he  is  placed  on  the  altar  of  God, 
which  serves  him  for  a  seat  and  for  a  foot- 
stool; his  train  fills  the  temple,  the  people 
kiss  his  feet,  and  all  the  cardinals  cry,  "  Ve- 
nite,  adoremwi,  come,  let  us  worship." 

But  mark  the  falseness  of  Daniel's  ene- 
mies, ver.  7;  they  represent  this  decree  as  a 
unanimous  decision ;  and  they  speak  of  them- 
selves as  the  organ  of  the  universal  voice  of 
the  nation.  Such  is  the  practice  of  all  party 
men,  even  in  our  own  day  ;  in  their  speeches, 
m  their  publications,  in  their  warped  and 


324  TWENTY-riRST   LESSON. 

prejudiced  judgments ;  the  nation,  that  is, 
we  ;  the  state,  that  is,  I.  We  have  all  agreed 
to  pass  this  decree. 

The  king,  surprised  in  his  imprudence,  flat- 
tered in  his  royal  pride,  and  not  immediately 
perceiving  the  use  which  they  designed  to 
make  of  this  decree  against  his  servant,  at- 
tached to  it  his  seal ;  and  henceforth,  accord- 
ing to  an  established  usage  among  the  Medes 
and  Persians,  this  law  was  irrevocable ;  no 
one,  not  even  the  king  himself,  could  abrogate 
or  modify  it. 

But  let  us  hasten  to  ver.  10.  What  will 
Daniel  do  ?  He  has  read  the  decree  ;  he  has 
made  up  his  mind  ;  he  has  given  up  his  life 
to  the  Lord,  and  he  determines  to  go  to  the 
king  and  to  speak  to  him  ;  as  the  noble  and 
loyal  Dandelot,  brother  to  the  great  Coligny, 
who  had  become  a  Protestant,  that  is,  a  Bible 
Christian,  did  to  the  king  of  France,  the  mor- 
tal enemy  of  the  reformed :  "  Sire,"  said  he, 
"  for  twenty  years  I  have  cheerfully  exposed 
my  life  for  you  in  battle,  and  you  have  al- 
ways found  me  faithful  because  you  are  my 
king ;  I  have  another  King  in  heaven  whom 
I  ought  to  serve,  and  whom  I  Avill  serve.  I 
trust  He  also  shall  find  me  faithful." 

How,  then,  does  Daniel  act  ?  Does  he  hide 
himself?  No  !  Doubtless,  in  many  cases,  the 
Lord  allows  his  children  to  shun  persecution ; 
but  Daniel  does  not  choose  to  avail  himself 


THE   PROPHET    DANIEL.  335 

of  this  liberty.  He  has  an  example  to  give ; 
I  must  strengthen  my  brethren,  saith  he ; 
God  calls  me  to  glorify  him  in  death ;  here 
is  the  conflict,  shall  I  decline  it  ?  0  blessed  be 
his  name  for  so  great  a  mercy  !  0  my  God, 
behold  here  am  I ;  what  wilt  thou  have  me 
to  do? 


28 


TWENTY-SECOND  LESSON. 
Daniel  ii.  10 — 19. 

My  dear  children,  the  first  verse  of  our 
lesson  this  day  would  of  itself  afford  matter 
for  several  meditations,  and  I  cannot  pass  it 
over  without  calling  3'our  attention  to  it  for 
a  short  time.  It  exhibits  to  us  Daniel,  the 
governor  of  Babylon,  in  the  nccir  prospect  of 
death,  kneeling  before  his  window,  praying 
and  praising  the  Lord.  The  last  verse,  like- 
wise, presents  us  with  another  scene,  neither 
less  affecting  nor  less  interesting.  It  is,  on 
the  following  day,  early  in  the  morning,  the 
den  of  lions,  into  which  the  prophet  had  been 
cast. 

Behind  that  stone  which  closes  the  mouth 
of  the  den,  what  is  there  ?  Lions,  and  a  pro- 
phet of  the  Lord,  an  old  man  of  eighty-five, 
who  has  spent  the  night  there.  And  before 
the  stone,  what  is  there  ?  the  king  of  the 
Medes,  the  great  Darius,  an  old  man  of  sixty- 
two,  who,  unable  to  close  his  eyes  all  night, 
or  to  take  any  nourishment,  has  risen  up  be- 
fore day,  and  run  to  the  entrance  of  the  cave  ; 
he  approaches  with  trembling ;  and  fears  lest 
his  anxious  inquiries  should  be  answered 
only  by  the  roarmg  of  the  lions.  "  0  Dan- 
326 


THE    PROPHET   DANIEL.  327 

iel,  Daniel,"  cries  he,  "  thou  servant  of  the 
living  God,  is  thy  God,  whom  thou  servest 
continually,  able  to  deliver  thee  from  the 
lions  ?'^ 

Daniel,  you  remember,  had  been  made  one 
of  the  three  principal  governors  of  the  new 
empire.  The  great  men  of  the  Medes  and 
Persians,  jealous  of  his  success,  had  suc- 
ceeded, by  secret  intrigues,  and  without  his 
Imowledge,  in  obtaining  the  sanction  of  the 
king  to  a  decree,  by  which  they  hoped  to 
effect  his  ruin.  It  was  forbidden  for  any  one 
to  pray  to,  or  ask  a  petition  of,  any  god  or 
man  for  thirty  days,  save  of  the  sacred  per- 
son of  the  king  of  the  Medes. 

Daniel  knew  nothing  of  this  decree,  but 
all  at  once  he  hears  that  the  letters  are  writ- 
ten and  signed  by  the  king,  so  that  it  has  be- 
come the  law  of  the  kingdom,  and  death  is 
the  penalty  of  disobedience. 

What,  then,  does  he  do?  He  enters  his 
house,  and  "his  windows  being  open  to- 
wards Jerusalem,  he  kneels  upon  his  knees 
and  prays." 

He  makes  his  decision  at  once ;  he  feels 
that  his  hour  is  come,  and  that  as  the  laws 
of  the  Persians  are  irreversible,  those  of  hea- 
ven are  much  more  so.  My  God,  will  he 
have  said,  the  moment  has  arrived  when 
thou  art  pleased  to  remove  me  to  my  rest  by 
a  violent  death  !  Can  I  ever  cease  to  call 
upon  thee,  my  Saviour  and  my  King  !     0 


828  TWENTY-SECOND   LESSON. 

no  !  Glory  be  to  thy  name,  that  after  so  long 
a  life,  thou  callest  me  to  honour  thee  by  such 
a  death  !  Only  give  me  strength !  forsake  me 
not,  until  the  day  when  "  they  that  sleep  in 
the  dust  shall  awake,  and  the  wise  shall  shine 
like  the  sun,  and  like  the  stars  for  ever." Such 
are  his  own  words.  Dan.  xii.  2,  3. 

"  Now,  when  Daniel  knew  that  the  writing 
was  signed,  he  went  to  his  house  and 
prayed." 

I  will  here  relate  to  you  an  interesting  an- 
ecdote of  a  little  boy,  which  I  heard  from  a 
brother  minister,  while  lately  on  a  tour  in  a 
neighboming  canton. 

This  dear  child  was  one  of  my  friend's 
Sunday-school  class,  and  he  took  such  a  deep 
interest  in  his  religious  instructions,  that  he 
persisted  in  attending  the  school,  though  for 
a  long  time  he  had  been  suifering  from  a 
severe  pain  in  his  knee.  That  he  might  not 
be  prevented  going  there,  he  endeavoured  as 
much  as  possible  to  hide  his  excessive  suifer- 
ings  from  his  parents,  and  he  was  particularly 
desirous  to  be  present  at  the  last  religious 
meetings.  In  this,  however,  he  was  disap- 
pointed, foT  his  leg  became  so  bad  that  he 
was  obliged  to  take  to  his  bed.  One  morn- 
ing the  doctors  entered  his  room  and  sud- 
denly said  to  him,  "My  good  friend,  you 
must  take  courage,  for  we  are  come  to  cut 
off  your  leg.  We  did  not  tell  you  before, 
not  to  give  you  unnecessary  pain;  but  the 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.        329 

Operation  is  indispensable ;  you  must  sub- 
mit." Well,  what  do  you  think  he  did  ?  Ah  ! 
he  had  the  Lord  in  his  heart.  "  Gentlemen," 
said  he,  with  calmness  and  resolution,  "  not 
to-day ;  I  ask  eight  days  to  prepare,  and  to 
recommend  myself  to  God."  He  seemed  so 
decided  in  this  delay  that  they  complied. 
From  that  time  he  was  engaged  in  fervent 
prayer;  he  requested  to  be  prayed  for  in 
church ;  and  when  the  eve  of  that  fatal  day 
arrived,  he  sent  for  the  surgeon,  and  said, 
"  Now,  sir,  I  am  ready  for  to-morrow  ;  and 
I  wished  to  tell  you  that  I  was  never  so 
happy."  God  was  with  him,  and  will  you 
believe  it,  the  next  day  he  never  uttered  a 
ciy.  The  surgeon  said  to  him,  "  My  dear 
child,  cry ;  you  may  cry ;  don't  force  your- 
self!"  His  answer  was,  "  I  don't  want  it ;  I 
suffer  very  little," — in  such  a  remarkable 
manner  was  the  Lord  with  him !  He  is  now 
well,  and  is  able  to  go  about ;  and  in  every 
respect  he  manifests  the  consistent  walk  of  a 
child  of  God. 

Thus,  then,  it  was  that  Daniel  prepared 
himself,  and  doubtless,  like  this  little  boy,  he 
could  say,  "  I  was  never  so  happy." 

The  prophet  was  accustomed  to  pray  three 
times  a  day,  and  notwithstanding  the  threats 
of  man,  he  made  no  change  in  his  habits  of 
devotion.  But,  oh  !  with  what  fervency  did 
he  pray  before  that  window.  On  the  pre- 
sent occasion,  thinking  that  it  was  his  last 
28* 


330  TWENTY-SECOND    LESSON. 

day,  and  that  he  now  beheld,  for  the  last 
time,  that  beautiful  sun  of  Chaldea,  which 
was  about  to  set  beneath  the  horizon  of  Je- 
rusalem ;  but  looking  for  the  rising  of  a  more 
glorious  sun  in  the  New  Jerusalem ;  for  "  it 
has  no  need  of  the  sun  to  illumine  it,  for  the 
glory  of  the  Lord  enlightens  it,  and  the  Lamb 
is  the  light  thereof'^ 

Ah !  it  is  with  such  thoughts  we  would 
endeavour  to  pray  every  evening,  were  we 
more  wise,  and  did  we  better  know  how  to 
number  our  days.  How  much  more  atten- 
tion, earnestness,  sincerity,  and  love  would 
we  put  into  our  prayers,  could  we  say,  "This, 
perhaps,  is  the  last  time  I  shall  pray  in  this 
world ;  to-morrow,  0  my  God,  I  may  be  be- 
fore thy  throne  !  0  my  soul,  prepare  to  meet 
thy  God !  pour  out  thy  thoughts  before  him ! 
"  Let  us  live,"  said  a  friend  of  mine,  in 
writing  to  me,  "  let  us  live  every  day  as  if  it 
were  the  eve  of  the  day  of  Christ :  this  cal- 
culation will  never  deceive  us,  and  it  is  the 
only  way  not  to  be  taken  by  surprise." 

But  to  continue  the  explanation  of  our 
verses.  The  windows  of  the  prophet's  cham- 
ber were  open,  so  that  the  passers  by,  and 
especially  his  enemies  who  watched  him 
closely,  could  hear,  or  at  least  observe  him, 
while  he  poured  out  his  soul  before  God. 

But  shall  we  say  that  Daniel  is  to  be  com- 
mended for  having  prayed  Avith  this  appear- 
ance of  ostentation  ?    Our  Lord  has  warned 


THE   PROPHET   DANIEL.  331 

US  against  everything  like  parade  in  our  de- 
votions, Mat.  vi.  5,  6.  Did  Daniel  then  act 
like  the  hypocrites  ? — No,  doubtless,  his  con- 
science told  him  that  he  acted  uprightly.  He 
opened  his  window  for  the  same  reason  that 
the  hypocrites  would  have  shut  it.  He  did 
quite  the  reverse  of  those  whom  our  Lord 
speaks  of,  as  desiring  to  be  seen  praying,  that 
they  might  receive  the  praise  of  men.  But 
if,  instead  of  honouring  them  for  their  pray- 
ers, men  mocked,  insulted,  and  put  them  to 
death,  would  hypocrites  in  that  case  desire 
to  be  seen  on  their  knees !  Assuredly  not ; 
on  the  contrary,  such  persons,  in  the  days  of 
Daniel,  would  have  shut  their  windows,  and 
bolted  and  barred  them,  and  let  down  their 
blinds  too ;  and  behind  these  blinds  and  bolts 
they  would  not  have  imitated  the  example 
of  the  people  of  God,  and  prayed  ;  but  they 
would  rather  have  said,  like  Peter,  in  the 
moment  of  his  unhappy  fall :  "  I  know  not 
what  thou  say  est ;  I  am  not  one  of  them." 

The  window  of  Daniel's  chamber,  we  are 
told,  was  open  towards  Jerusalem.  You 
know,  I  trust,  the  reason  of  this.  It  was, 
that  while  he  prayed  to  God,  he  desired  to 
be  reminded  of  the  promises  of  God.  Jeru- 
salem no  longer  existed ;  seventy  years  be- 
fore it  had  been  destroyed,  and  now  it  pre- 
sented nothing  but  an  unsightly  heap  of 
ashes  ;  but  when  he  addressed  these  prayers 
to  the  Lord,  Daniel  turned  toward  the  city 


332  TWENTY-SECOND   LESSON. 

of  the  promises,  to  show  that  the  ground  of 
his  confidence  was  not  any  virtue,  or  excel- 
lence, or  merit  of  his  own,  but  solely  the  pro- 
mises given  to  the  people  of  God  in  the  first 
era  of  the  world ;  renewed  to  Abraham ;  re- 
peated to  David ;  and,  as  it  were,  embodied 
in  the  temple,  the  altar,  and  the  whole  taber- 
nacle worship  which  typified  the  Saviour  of 
sinners,  and  bore  testimony  to  that  "plenteous 
redemption,"  which  is  "  in  him,"  Psal.  cxxx. 

In  opening  his  window,  Daniel  had  in 
view  that  prayer  which  Solomon  offered  up 
at  the  consecration  of  the  temple.  Read  over 
that  beautiful  portion  of  scripture,  and  it  will 
throw  much  light  on  the  conduct  of  this  man 
of  God  in  thus  turning  his  face  towards  Je- 
rusalem, when  he  prayed  in  Babylon,  1 
Kings  viii.  46 — 49. 

And  so,  in  like  manner,  my  dear  children, 
'  we,  when  we  pray,  should  look  towards  our 
heavenly  Jerusalem,  the  city  of  the  living 
God,  towards  our  great  High  Priest,  Christ 
Jesus,  towards  the  true  tabernacle,  from 
whence  the  Lord  himself  heareth  prayer; 
and  in  doing  so,  it  is  as  if  we  said,  "  0  Lord 
God,  hear  us  from  heaven,  the  habitation  of 
thy  holiness,  not  for  our  sakes,  who  have  de- 
served nothing  at  thy  hands,  but  for  the 
blood,  the  sufferings,  the  merits,  the  interces- 
sion of  Jesus,  our  Almighty  Saviour." 

But  let  us  continue  the  explanation  of  ver. 
10.    How  did  Daniel  pray.?  "He  kneeled 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  333 

upon  his  knees  three  times  a  day  and  prayed, 
and  gave  thanks  before  his  God,  as  he  did 
aforetime.^' 

There  are  three  or  four  particulars  con- 
nected with  the  prayers  of  Daniel  which  I 
would  wish  to  dwell  upon,  did  time  permit. 

1.  He  prayed,  we  are  told,  "as  he  did 
aforetime."  He  did  not  wait  for  times  of 
danger  to  engage  in  this  exercise  ;  he  did  it 
while  he  was  at  the  head  of  the  vast  empire 
of  the  Persians.  There  are  many  persons 
who  live  strangers  to  prayer,  except  when 
they  have  been  visited  by  some  affliction, 
some  attack  of  sickness,  or  some  other  trouble. 
A  father,  a  mother,  a  husband,  a  child  is  at 
the  point  of  death !  ah !  then,  perhaps,  you 
will  see  them  often  on  their  knees ;  then  they 
will  be  frequent  in  prayer.  But  why  was  it 
not  so  a  few  days  before  ?  Why  will  it  no 
longer  be  so  when  the  storm  has  passed 
away  ?  Why  ?  ah !  rather  ask  the  corrupt 
and  sinful  heart  of  man.  It  was  not  so  with 
Daniel :  that  venerable  old  man  gave  him- 
self up  to  continual  prayer  for  himself,  that 
he  might  be  kept  amid  the  temptations  of  his 
government ;  for  his  family,  that  they  might 
be  enabled  to  glorify  the  name  of  the  Lord  ; 
for  the  church,  that  the  Lord  would  have 
pity  upon  her  afflictions,  and  build  again  the 
walls  of  Jerusalem.  Neither  was  it  so  with 
the  centurion,  Cornelius:  that  brave  officer, 
we  are  told,  "  prayed  to  God  always ;"  and 


334  TWENTY-SECOND    LESSON. 

the  Lord  sent  an  angel  to  say  to  him,  «  Cor- 
nelius, thy  prayers  and  thine  alms  have  come 
up  as  a  memorial  before  God.^' 

2.  Daniel  knelt  three  times  a  day  before 
his  window.  Here  again,  my  friends,  we 
have  an  important  lesson.  There  are  two 
characteristics  which  you  will  invariably  find 
in  the  religious  practice  of  men  of  God: 
constancy  and  regularity.  We  are  desired  to 
maintain  a  constant  spirit  of  prayer ;  to  pray 
without  ceasing ;  but  we  are  also  directed  to 
have  certain  fixed  hours  in  the  day  for  secret 
retirement  and  prayer  to  God. 

When  a  child  is  converted,  his  little  heart 
is  given  to  prayer;  he  prays  continually  when 
he  is  alone,  whether  he  goes  into  the  town, 
or  walks  in  the  country,  or  is  occupied  about 
his  business.  0  my  God,  he  will  say,  how 
great  is  thy  goodness  !  be  with  me  and  pre- 
serve me  from  evil !  Bless  all  those  arourid 
me  !  0  Lord,  how  wonderful  are  thy  works, 
in  wisdom  hast  thou  made  them  all !  Thou 
hast  made  the  flowers  of  the  field,  the  lilies, 
the  world,  the  sun's  immensity  !  When  I  con- 
sider the  heavens  the  work  of  thy  hands,  the 
moon  and  the  stars  which  thou  hast  made  : 
what  is  man  that  thou  art  mindful  of  him,  or 
the  son  of  man  that  thou  visitest  him?''  0 
my  God,  I  am  going  to  my  work,  make  me 
dihgent  and  laborious;  put  away  from  me 
all  evil  thoughts,  strengthen  my  memor)^,  en- 
able me  to  please  my  masters  and  my  be- 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  335 

loved  parents !  And  when  he  is  among  his 
companions :  0  Lord,  in  our  recreations,  let 
us  not  do  anything  displeasing  to  thee  !  Yes, 
the  Christian  prays  habitually ;  but,  at  the 
same  time,  this  disposition  does  not  satisfy 
him ;  he  feels  the  necessity  of  having  mo- 
ments set  apart  for  this  holy  exercise,  as  he 
has  hours  fixed  for  his  meals  and  for  his  seve- 
ral avocations. 

These  two  habits  of  the  Christian  life,  that 
of  praying  without  ceasing,  and  that  of  pray- 
ing at  stated  hours,  constancy  and  regularity, 
ought  to  spring  up  and  grow  together.  They 
mutually  assist  one  another ;  and  are  neces- 
sary to  each  other's  development.  Wo  to 
that  man  who  neglects  to  consecrate  certain 
moments  to  the  concerns  of  his  soul  and  of 
eternity,  under  the  pretext  that  he  prays 
without  ceasing  !  No,  no,  he  does  not  pray 
without  ceasing,  if  he  nourishes  not  in  him 
the  spirit  of  prayer  by  regular  devotions. 
And  wo  also  to  him  who  says,  "  I  pray  three 
times  a  day,"  but  has  not  an  habitual  dispo- 
sition to  pray.  No,  he  does  not  pray  at  stated 
times,  if  he  has  not  a  spirit  of  prayer ;  in 
such  a  case  his  prayers  are  not  prayers  at  all ; 
they  must  be  cold,  wandering,  without  life, 
and  without  sincerity. 

The  pious  among  the  Israelites  were  ac- 
customed to  retire  three  times  a  day  into 
some  solitary  place,  to  pour  out  their  hearts 
before  God  •,  and  they  chose  for  this  purpose 


336  TWENTY-SECOND    LESSON. 

the  hours  when  the  sacrifice  and  oblations 
were  offered  up  in  the  temple,  that  they  might 
be  more  forcibly  reminded  that  their  prayers 
were  accepted  only  for  the  sake  of  the  Lamb, 
which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world. 
Hence  Daniel  prayed  and  made  supplications 
to  God  "  about  the  time  of  the  evening  sa- 
crifice." chap.  ix.  21.  David,  likewise,  fol- 
lowed the  same  practice,  Psal.  Iv.  17.  Again, 
in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  you  will  see  that 
this  was  the  usage  of  pious  men  under  the 
New  Testament.  Follow  through  the  course 
of  the  day  the  brave  Cornelius,  the  centurion 
of  the  Italian  band,  and  you  will  find  that 
not  only  did  he  pray  to  God  continually,  but 
that  he  had  stated  hours  of  prayer.  In  chap. 
X.  3,  you  will  see  him  praying  to  God,  with 
fasting,  about  the  ninth  hour  of  the  day,  that 
is,  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon ;  and 
in  the  same  chapter,  ver.  9,  you  will  find  Pe- 
ter going  up  on  the  house-top  about  the  sixth 
hour,  that  is,  at  mid-day,  to  pray.  In  Psal. 
cxix.  we  find  the  Psalmist,  in  his  old  age, 
rising  up  at  midnight,  to  engage  in  private 
devotion,  ver.  62,  and  again  147.  But  to 
continue. 

3.  Daniel  prayed  on  his  knees.  Such  is 
the  attitude  which  becomes  the  Christian 
when  he  prays.  Some  persons  have  an  ob- 
jection to  kneel,  in  prayer,  because  they  think 
this  practice  savours  somewhat  of  popery ! 
True,  if  it  be  before  men  or  angels ;  but  if  it 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  337 

be  before  Jesus  Christ,  and  as  an  expression 
of  what  the  heart  feels,  then  let  us  rejoice  to 
imitate  the  papists.  In  my  opinion  the  atti- 
tude appears  to  some  too  humble.  Poor 
children  of  condemnation  and  death !  the 
Lord  pardon  them  !  They  know  neither  who 
they  are,  nor  what  God  is  !  Ah  !  could  they 
obtain  some  glimpse  of  the  divine  majesty, 
they  would  feel  even  this  attitude  to  be  too 
proud ;  they  would  desire  to  prostrate  them- 
selves upon  their  faces,  they  would  remem- 
ber, that  when  Jesus  Christ  prayed  in  Geth- 
semane,  it  was  not  merely  on  his  knees,  but 
it  was  stretched  on  the  ground,  with  his  face 
in  the  dust ! 

Stephen  prayed  on  his  knees ;  Paul  prayed 
on  his  knees.  When  he  prayed  with  the 
elders  of  Miletus,  previous  to  his  departing 
from  them,  it  was  upon  his  knees :  "  he 
kneeled  down  and  prayed  with  them  all," 
Acts  XX.  36.  When  the  disciples  who  ac- 
companied out  of  the  city  of  Tyre  to  the  sea- 
shore, joined  with  him  in  prayer,  they  all 
knelt  down  upon  the  beach,  Acts  xxi.  5. 
Solomon  kneeled  in  the  presence  of  all  the 
people,  when  he  offered  up  his  prayer  at  the 
consecration  of  the  temple,  1  Kings  viii.  54. 
When  his  father  David,  the  man  after  God's 
own  heart,  prayed,  it  was  on  his  knees,  Psal. 
xcv.  6.  In  a  word,  when  our  master  prayed 
for  us,  it  was  on  his  knees  ! 

4.  We  are  told,  "  he  prayed  and  gave 
29 


338  TWENTY-SECOND    LESSON. 

thanks  before  his  God,  as  he  did  aforetime," 
he  prayed  "  with  thanksgiving,"  Phil.  iv.  6. 
And  thus  should  the  Christian  do,  at  all  times, 
in  trials,  in  dangers,  and  in  the  hour  of  death ; 
for  the  true  believer  will  always  have  reason 
to  thank  God ;  and  if  we  are  not  able  to  join 
thanksgiving  with  our  prayers,  we  shall  surely 
ask  amiss. 

I  imagine  I  see  this  venerable  old  man 
kneeling  before  his  window.  He  does  not 
think  it  enough  to  say,  "  0  my  God,  keep 
me,  and  supply  me  with  needful  strength  !" 
but  he  praises,  magnifies,  and  gives  thanks 
unto  the  Lord ;  "  all  that  is  within  him  blesses 
his  holy  name."  "  0  my  God,  when  I  think 
of  thy  mercies,  they  are  more  than  I  can  tell ; 
they  are  more  in  number  than  the  sand  upon 
the  sea-shore.  I  praise  thee  for  my  long  life 
— I  bless  thee  for  calling  me  to  terminate  my 
days  by  martyrdom ! — I  bless  thee  for  thy 
mercy,  in  keeping  me,  when,  as  a  child,  I 
came  to  Babylon ;  and  for  counting  me 
worthy  to  suifer  for  thy  name.  Ah  !  I  long 
to  depart ;  I  wait  for  mine  inheritance.  Thou 
forgivest  all  mine  iniquities — thou  healest  all 
my  diseases — thou  crowjnest  me  with  loving- 
kindness  and  tender  mercies." 

One  word  more  only  would  I  remark  on 
this  verse.  The  Holy  Spirit  does  not  merely 
say,  Daniel  praised  God,  but  Daniel  praised 
his  God ;  teaching  us  the  spirit  of  adoption 
and  of  holy  joy,  in  which  this  aged  servant 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.       339 

of  God  poured  out  his  heart  before  the  Lord. 
He  was  his  God.  "  0  God/'  said  he,  Hke 
one  of  his  ancestors,  "  thou  art  my  God."  I 
am  thy  child,  thou  art  my  Father,  thou  art 
my  portion  for  ever,  0  my  God  !  Thus  Dan- 
iel prayed. 

A  crowd  soon  gathers  round  his  palace — 
the  people  are  excited — the  rumour  is  spread- 
tliroughout  Babylon,  that  this  haughty  Jew — 
this  insolent  old  man,  from  whom  a  far  dif- 
ferent example  of  submission  might  have 
been  expected,  had  dared  to  trample  on  the 
king's  command.  The  chiefs  of  the  kingdom 
approach  Darius,  and  say  to  him :  "  Hast 
thou  not  signed  this  decree  ?"  He  answers, 
"  the  thing  is  sure,  according  to  the  law  of 
the  Medes  and  Persians,  which  altereth  not." 
"  Well,  then,"  continue  they,  "  that  Daniel, 
which  is  of  the  children  of  the  captivity  of 
Judah,  regardeth  not  thee,  0  king,  nor  the 
decree  that  thou  hast  signed,  but  maketh  his 
petition  three  times  a  day,  as  heretofore." 

On  hearing  these  words,  the  unhappy  Da- 
rius discovered,  too  late,  the  snare  into  which 
he  had  fallen.  He  saw  that  the  object  of  it 
was  to  ruin  his  prime  minister,  and  we  are 
told  "  he  was  sore  displeased  with  himself;" 
yea,  that  "  he  set  his  heart  on  Daniel  to  de- 
liver him;"  he  did  everything  he  could  to 
rescue  him  from  the  effect  of  that  persecuting 
edict  to  which  he  had  so  unwarily  been  in- 
duced to  affix  his  sanction.     But  to  no  pur- 


340  TWENTY-SECOND   LESSON. 

pose.  The  principal  men  of  the  nation  as- 
sembled, and  came  in  a  body  to  the  king, 
and  said :  "  Sire,  wilt  thou  overthrow  the 
monarchy  ?  Know,  0  king,  that  the  law  of 
the  Medes  and  Persians  is,  that  no  decree  or 
statute  which  the  king  establisheth  may  be 
changed."  We  think  we  hear  the  answer 
of  the  chief  priests  and  rulers  of  the  Jews  to 
Pilate,  when  he  demanded,  "  Why,  what 
evil  hath  he  done  ?"  "If  thou  let  this  man 
go,  thou  art  not  Caesar's  friend :  whosoever 
maketh  himself  a  king,  speaketh  against 
Caesar :  away  with  him,  away  with  him ! 
crucify  him,  crucify  him  !" 

From  such  facts,  my  dear  children,  we 
learn  what  need  kings  and  all  those  in  au- 
thority have  of  the  prayers  and  intercessions 
of  the  people  of  God. 

At  length  the  unhappy  Darius  is  constrain- 
ed to  give  way :  he  orders  Daniel  to  be  cast 
into  the  den  of  lions.  The  venerable  old 
man  is  seized — ^lie  is  led  like  a  criminal — 
guarded,  no  doubt,  and  loaded  with  chains — 
he  appears  before  the  king.  Do  you  not 
imagine  you  see  this  fine  old  man,  with  his 
hoary  locks,  his  mild  but  decided  expression, 
his  generous  brow,  his  air  of  nobiUty,  calm- 
ness, and  lofty  candour  ? 

I  endeavour,  also  to  realize  the  feelings, 
at  this  moment,  of  the  thousands  and  thou- 
sands of  Jews  in  Babylon  Avho  are  looking 
forward  to  the  accomplishment  of  the  pro- 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL.  341 

mises  made  to  their  fathers,  and  with  the 
book  of  Jeremiah  in  their  hands,  waiting  with 
so  many  prayers  the  seventy  years  of  their 
captivity. 

Since  the  fall  of  Babylon,  according  to  the 
predictions  of  scripture,  they  regarded  the 
elevation  of  Daniel  to  the  government  of  the 
new  empire,  as  a  means  prepared  by  God  for 
their  deliverance ;  what  a  trial  of  their  faith 
— the  cruel  punishment  of  their  protector, 
and  this  persecution  of  their  nation  by  these 
masters  !  But  at  the  same  time  what  a  noble 
lesson !  this  venerable  old  man,  choosing  to 
die  rather  than  give  up  praying  and  confess- 
ing the  hope  of  Israel,  the  true  and  living 
God  !  What  an  influence  must  such  an  ex- 
ample have  exerted ! 

Perhaps  there  were  among  the  Jews,  es- 
pecially among  the  poorer  classes,  some  who 
uncharitably  blamed  the  pious  Daniel  for 
living  among  heathens,  and  in  the  midst  of 
magnificence;  but  now,  rash  mortals,  no 
longer  judge ;  who  are  ye  that  ye  should 
condemn  another  man's  servant  ?  behold  that 
noble,  that  faithful  old  man  going  to  death, 
rather  than  cease  to  pray ;  behold  that  mar- 
tyr ;  behold  that  man  of  prayer ;  go,  and  do 
thou  likewise. 

At  length  he  is  led  forth  to  be  devoured  by 
the  wild  beasts.  But  hear  the  language  of 
the  king  of  the  Medes,  at  the  moment  when 
he  sees  him  about  to  depart.    What  a  conso- 

29* 


342  TWENTY-SECOND    LESSON. 

lation  to  Daniel,  to  hear  such  words  from  the 
lips  of  a  heathen  king :  "  Thy  God,  whom 
thou  servest  continually,  he  will  deliver  thee." 
Yes,  no  doubt  his  heart  responded,  my  God 
will  surely  deliver  me,  one  way  or  another  ! 
0  my  God,  be  merciful  to  this  poor  king  ! 

He  is  led  away ;  the  door  is  opened  ;  he  is 
thrown  in ;  a  stone  is  laid  against  the  mouth 
of  it ;  and  the  seal  of  the  king  and  of  his 
lords,  who  no  doubt  distrusted  him,  is  affixed 
thereto. 

The  lions,  according  to  custom,  had  been 
kept  a  whole  day  without  food,  to  render 
them  more  ferocious ;  but  to  make  still  more 
sure  of  his  death,  they  left  the  prophet  for  a 
whole  night  in  the  den ;  they  opened  it  not 
until  the  following  morning. 

The  martyrdom  of  this  servant  of  God 
has  frequently  reminded  me  of  that  of  the 
excellent  Ignatius,  the  first  bishop  of  Antioch, 
who,  like  Daniel,  at  the  age  of  eighty,  was 
exposed  to  wild  beasts,  for  the  sake  of  Christ. 
Being  thirty-six  years  of  age  at  the  time  of 
St.  PauPs  death,  he  had  associated  much 
with  the  apostles,  especially  with  St.  John, 
at  Smyrna ;  and  he  was  exceedingly  attached 
to  the  pious  Polycarp,  of  whom  I  spoke  to 
you  in  my  last  lesson.  He  was  very  fond  of 
sacred  music,  and  it  is  said  that  he  first  intro- 
duced the  use  of  responses  into  the  service 
of  the  church,  in  the  east.  When  the  empe- 
ror Trajan  made  his  triumphant  entry  into 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL. 


343 


Antioch,  Ignatius  appeared  before  him  and 
spoke  to  him  of  the  kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ. 
"His  kingdom!"   exclaimed  the    emperor, 
with  disdain,  "the  kingdom  of  Him  who 
was  crucified  under  Pontius  Pilate  ! !"  "Yes, 
his    kingdom,  the  kingdom    of   Hmi  who 
nailed  my  sins  to  his  cross,  and  who  enables 
those  who  bear  him  in  their  hearts  to  tread 
down  the  malice  of  Satan  under  then  feet." 
"  And  do  you  bear  in  your  heart  Him  that 
was  crucified  ?"  "  Yes,"  answered  the  vene- 
rable  old  man; "for  it  is  written,  "I  will 
dwell  in  them  and  walk  in  them."     Then 
the  king,  without  further  delay,  hastened  to 
pronounce  with  a  loud  voice  this  sentence  : 
«  Since  Ignatius  confesses  that  he  bears  in 
his  heart  Him  that  was  crucified,  we  order 
that  he  be  removed  to  Rome,  bound  between 
soldiers,  and  that  he  be  cast  to  wild  beasts, 
for  the  amusement  of  the  people."  On  hear- 
ing these  words,  Ignatius,  his  countenance 
beaming  with  joy,  exclaimed,  "  I  thank  thee, 
0  my  God,  because  thou  hast  counted  me 
worthy,  like  thine  apostle  Paul,  to  wear  a 
chain  for  thy  name's  sake  !"  Immediately  he 
was  consigned,  in  chains,  to  ten  soldiers,  to 
be   conveyed  across  the   whole    empire  to 
Rome.     Trajan  hoped  that  this  long  journey 
of  the  martyr  would  inspire  with  terror  all 
the  Christians  of  Europe  and  Asia,  who  re- 
garded Ignatius  as  the  greatest  of  the  suc- 
cessors of  the  apostles ;  but  God  made  use 


344  TWENTY-SECOND    LESSON. 

of  it,  on  the  contrary,  everywhere  to  cheer 
the  hearts  of  those  who  were  cast  down  by 
persecution.  The  ship  which  conveyed  him 
stopped  for  a  few  days  at  Smyrna,  where  Ig- 
natius had  the  pleasure  of  embracing  his  be- 
loved Polycarp,  and  from  whence  he  wrote 
letters  which  are  still  extant.  Arrived  at 
Rome,  he  was  delivered  to  the  prefect  of  the 
Pretorium,  who  selected  for  the  day  of  his 
execution,  a  grand  festival,  when  all  the  peo- 
ple assembled  in  the  Amphitheatre,  (the 
famous  Colosseum,)  would  expect  brilliant 
shows  of  gladiators.  On  the  morning  of  his 
execution,  Ignatius  kneeled  down  in  the  pre- 
sence of  his  guards,  and  like  Stephen,  ad- 
dressing himself  to  Jesus  Christ,  besought 
him  to  bless  his  church,  to  unite  his  people 
in  love,  and  to  put  a  stop  to  persecution.  He 
was  speedily  conveyed  to  the  arena  of  the 
Colosseum.  On  entering  this  astonishing 
building,  he  beheld  its  tliree  tiers  of  immense 
arches,  filled  with  a  multitude  of  people, 
supposed  to  amount  to  89,000,  and  rising  in 
rows  like  steps  of  stairs,  to  the  height  of  150 
feet.  The  lions  were  immediately  let  loose  ; 
they  were  ravenous  with  hunger ;  as  soon  as 
the  people  saw  them,  they  raised  an  enthusi- 
astic shout  of  applause,  and  in  a  moment  the 
old  man  was  devoiu'ed ;  but  his  blessed  ex- 
ample will  continue  for  ever,  and  he  being 
dead,  yet  speaketh. 

But  let  us  return  to  the  two  other  old  men. 


THE    PROPHET    DANIEL. 


345 


to  whom  our  lesson  this  day  calls  our  atten- 
tion ;  I  mean  the  old  king  Darius,  returning 
to  the  palace  in  the  evening  without  Daniel, 
and  the  venerable  prophet  descending  by  his 
order  into  the  den  of  hons. 

Imagine  the  state  of  the  unhappy  king. 
What  ^a  wretched  day,   what  humiliatmg 
thoughts,  what  a   gloomy,  frightful  night! 
He  reflects  on  the  goodness,  the  meekness  of 
Daniel,  his  noble  countenance,  his  dignified 
appearance,    his  Avisdom,    his   disinterested 
affection,  above  all,  his  holiness,  his  elevation 
of  soul,  his  faithfulness  to  that  God  whom 
"he  served  continually."     How  could  he 
sleep  while  the  aged  Daniel  lay  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  den,  his  flesh  devoured  and  his 
bones  crushed  between  the  teeth  of  the  fero- 
cious lions  ?    How  could  he  take  pleasure  in 
the  music  of  his  palace  ?   He  seems  rather  to 
hear  the  roarhig  of  the  wild  beasts  and  the 
cries  of  the  prophet  reproaching  him  with  his 
ingratitude  and  cruel  neglect.     Ah  !  thought 
he^  he  ever  served  me  faithfully ;  and  what 
may  I  not  expect  now  from  that  mighty  and 
terrible  God  who  denounced  to  Belshazzar, 
upon  the  wall  of  his  festive  saloon,  his  own 
death  and  the  ruin  of  his  empire?    He  is 
unable  to  take  his  place   at   table    in   the 
evening  ;  he  has  no  more  repose ;  his  night 
is  passed  m  the  anguish  of  disquietude  and 
the  agonies  of  remorse.     All !  far  from  me 


346  TWENTY-SECOND    LESSON. 

your  instruments  of  music  !  be  silent !  I  have 
sinned  !  you  break  my  heart ! 

At  length  he  rises ;  but  it  is  "  before  dayf 
he  does  not  send  some  one  to  the  entrance  of 
the  den  ;  he  goes  there  himself,  "  very  early 
in  the  morning ;"  our  text  tells  us,  "  he  goes 
there  in  haste ;"  he  trembles ;  shall  he  call 
Daniel  ?  he  fears  to  receive  for  answer  no- 
thing but  horrible  roarings. 

However,  as  he  approaches  the  den,  and 
before  he  reaches  it,  he  cries,  with  a  lamenta- 
ble voice,  Daniel !  Daniel !  He  has  not  lost 
all  hope :  Daniel  has  been  so  nobly  faithful 
to  his  God,  and  the  God  of  Daniel  is  so 
mighty  !  "  Daniel,"  exclaims  he,  "  servant 
of  the  living  God,  is  thy  God,  whom  thou 
servest  continually,  able  to  deliver  thee  from 
the  lions  ?" 

We  shall  see,  next  Sunday,  whether  he 
received  an  answer. 


TWENTY-THIRD    LESSON. 
Daniel  vi.  16—28. 

( The  ordinary  minister  being  absent  this 
day,  his  place  ivas  supplied  by  one  of  his 
colleagues.) 

The  minister  who  instructs  you,  being  de- 
tained this  morning  by  other  duties,  is  un- 
able to  give  you  the  usual  lesson.  I  shall 
therefore  request  you  to  repeat  what  you 
have  learned. 

I  am  unwilling  to  interrupt  the  course  of 
the  instructions  which  you  are  receiving  on 
this  book  ;  but  not  being  prepared  with  the 
portion  of  scripture  which  has  just  been  re- 
peated, I  will  put  a  few  questions  to  you  as 
children  to  whom  the  Lord  has  given  some 
understanding  in  his  Word.  Besides,  the 
term  is  far  advanced. 

What  were  the  feelings  of  king  Darius, 
when  Daniel  had  been  thrown  into  the  den 
of  lions  ? 

He  was  very  sorry. 

It  was  against  his  wish  that  Daniel  had 
been  condemned.  You  remember  that  he 
had  said  to  him,  as  he  was  going  to  punish- 
ment, "  Daniel,  Daniel,  thy  God,  whom  thou 

347 


348  TWENTY-THIRD  LESSON. 

servest  continually,  he  will  deliver  thee." 
The  following  night  he  had  passed  in  the 
most  painful  agitation. 

What  do  you  remark  in  the  language  in 
which  the  king  addresses  Daniel,  when,  on 
the  following  morning,  he  approaches  the 
den,  to  ascertain  what  had  become  of  him? 

That  it  is  very  respectful :  "  0  Daniel,  ser- 
vant of  the  living  God !  is  thy  God,  whom 
thou  continually  servest,  able  to  deliver  thee 
from  the  lions  ?" 

Is  not  the  prophet's  answer  to  the  king 
also  characterized  by  the  same  respect  ? 

He  says  to  him,  "  0  king,  live  for  ever." 

Remark  how  he  ascribes  his  deliverance  to 
God,  and  to  his  having  sent  his  angel.  "  My 
God  hath  sent  his  angel,  and  hath  shut  the 
lions'  mouths."  The  Bible,  my  friends,  con- 
nects the  name  of  God  with  every  event 
which  happens.  Thus  it  tells  us  it  was  by 
the  will  of  God,  that  the  bears  devoured  the 
children  which  mocked  the  prophet,  2  Kings 
ii.  40 ;  and  it  was  also  by  the  will  of  God 
that  the  lions'  mouths  were  shut  for  Daniel 
while  they  were  permitted  to  devour  his 
enemies.  St.  Paul,  in  Heb.  xi.  33,  makes  an 
allusion  to  this  deliverance  of  Daniel,  and 
assigns  as  the  cause  of  it  the  faith  of  the 
prophet,  a  faith  mighty  through  a  divine 
energy.  Here  the  act  of  shutting  the  mouths 
is  not  ascribed  to  the  wild  beasts  themselves, 
though  they  were  living  creatures,  and  their 


THE    PROPHET  'DANIEL.  349 

hungry  mouths  obeyed  their  natural  instinct ; 
but  they  are  here  represented  as  machines, 
because  it  was  the  power  of  Him  who  made 
and  governs  all  things — it  was  the  Divine 
power,  that  governing  according  to  its  will 
this  savage  instinct,  in  the  one  case,  opened 
the  lions'  mouth,  in  the  way  to  Bethel,  to 
devour  the  disobedient  prophet,  and  in  the 
other  shut  it,  in  the  lions'  den  in  Babylon, 
that  the  life  of  a  faithful  prophet  might  be 
rescued  from  the  grave. 

How  are  we  to  understand  the  words: 
"  for  as  much  as  before  him  innocency  was 
found  in  me  ?"  Do  you  imagine  that  Daniel 
was  one  of  those  who  think  themselves  free 
from  sin  ? 

No,  for  there  is  not  a  man  upon  earth  that 
sinneth  not. 

You  know  it  is  an  acknowledged  rule, 
that  where  a  great  doctrine  is  formally  esta- 
blished in  the  Bible,  it  cannot  be  shaken  by 
a  passage  which  may  seem,  at  first  sight,  to 
oppose  it. 

You  remember  what  St.  John  teaches, 
1  John  i.  S :  "  If  we  say  that  we  have  no 
sin,  we  deceive  ourselves,  and  the  truth  is 
not  in  us."  No  man  ever  made  such  hum- 
ble confession  of  his  sins  as  Daniel.  Why, 
then,  do  we  sometimes  hear  the  servants  of 
God  in  the  Bible  justifying  themselves  ? 

It  is  not  that  they  want  to  establish  their 
own  righteousness ;  but  where  they  are  ac- 
30 


350  TWENTY-THIRD    LESSON. 

ciised  falsely  on  any  subject,  they  think  it 
necessary  to  clear  themselves. 

Certainly  ;  and  in  such  cases  it  would  not 
be  humility  in  them  to  believe  themselves 
guilty. 

King  Darius,  we  are  told,  was  "  exceeding 
glad"  to  behold  Daniel  again.  Ah  !  it  is, 
indeed,  at  all  times  a  subject  of  great  joy, 
when  God  repairs  our  faults,  and  counteracts 
the  evil,  by  preventing  its  consequences  and 
bringmg  good  out  of  it.  You  remember  how 
Joseph  explained  to  his  brethren  the  provi- 
dential history  of  their  crime,  and  of  his  mis- 
fortunes. "  As  for  you,  ye  meant  evil  against 
me ;  but  God  meant  it  unto  good  ;  God  sent 
me  before  you  to  preserve  you  a  posterity  in 
the  earth,  and  to  save  your  lives  by  a  great 
deliverance,"  Gen.  1.  20;  xiv.  17.  He  re- 
presents himself  to  his  brethren  as  a  messen- 
ger of  God,  as  an  angel  sent  down  into 
Egypt,  that  he  might,  one  day,  become  the 
means  of  their  deliverance  and  preservation. 
This,  surely  was  a  great  subject  of  joy.  It 
is  very  cheering  to  us  to  know  that  God  gov- 
erns all  things,  and  that  his  sovereign  provi- 
dence is  everywhere;  but  it  is  still  more 
consoling  to  know,  that  even  where  evil  has 
happened,  God  is  able  to  bring  good  out  of 
it,  as  he  draws  a  man  out  of  a  pit  in  which 
he  seemed  in  danger  of  perishing. 


2000 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLES. 


Centuries  before  Christ. 
Years  b.  c. 

4000       Tlie  Creation  of  Man. 
3000       Enocli  translated, 
f  Noah  dies. 
\  Abraham  is  born. 
1000       Solomon  consecrates  his  Temple. 
900       Elijah  preaches. 
800        Isaiah  is  born. 
700       After  two  years,  Hezekiab  dies. 

r  Nebuchadnezzar  reigns  in  Babylon. 
Kings    <  Pharaoh-Necho  in  Egypt. 
(_Jehoiakini  at  Jerusalem, 
rjeremiah  prophecies  at  Jerusalem. 
Prophets<  Daniel  at  Babylon. 

(.Ezekiel  at  the  river  Chebar. 

{("  Jehoiakim. 
The  second  temple  of  Jeru-  j  Zerubbabel. 
salem  consecrated  by  j  Haggai. 

C^  Zechariah. 
400       Malachi,  the  last  of  the  prophets,  dies. 
300       The  Greco-Macedonian  Empire  is  divided  towards  tlie 

four  winds  of  Heaven. 
200       The  Romans  commence  the  destruction  of  the  third 
Empire. 
rPompey  the  ~i  C  the  one  to  take  Jerusalem, 

100    <    Grreat  and     >are  born,<      the  other  to  commence  the 
(.Julius  CBBsarj  (.    Roman  Empire. 

1       Jesus  Christ  is  born. 


600 


500 


Centuries  after  Christ. 
Years  after  j.  c. 

C    Second   persecution  of  Christians   by  the  Roman 
100    <         Emperors. 

(.     Saint  John  dies. 
200       Fifth  persecution  throughout  the  whole  empire. 
300        Tenth   persecution.     Twelve  years  after  the  Roman 
Emperor  declares  himself  a  Christian. 

351 


352  CHRONOLOGICAL   TABLE, 

years  after  j.  c. 


400 


[   ^ 


Vandals. 
\  Ostrogotlis. 
Ten  barbarous  nations  speaking  \  Visigoths. 
a    kind    of    German,    make    jGepidae. 
themselves   masters  of  the  >/Heruli. 
Roman  empire,   and  divide  x  Lombards, 
it  among  themselves.  J  Franks. 

They  are  y  Burgundians. 

Suevi. 
Alans. 

500  Clovis,  king  of  the  Franks,  makes  war  upon  Gonde- 
baud  (king  of  the  Burgundians,  at  Geneva.)  His  wife 
Clothilda,  niece  of  Gondebaud,  whom  he  carries 
away  from  Geneva,  persuades  him  to  become  a 
Christian. 
r  The  Pope  in  the  West  ") 
600    <  and  >  began  at  the  same  time. 

(_    Mahomet  in  the  East  j 
700        The  Popes  oblige  the  whole  world  to  worship  images. 
600        Charlemagne,  king  of  the  Franks,  is  crowned  Emperor 

of  the  Romans,  by  the  Pope. 
900        AKred  the  Great  dies  in  England. 
1000       The  Turks  establish  four  sultanries  on  the  banks  of  the 

Euphrates. 
1100        Jerusalem  taken  by  the  Latins. 
1200        Constantinople  taken  by  the  Latins. 
1218       The  Papists  besiege   Toulouse,  and   butcher  the  Albi- 
genses. 
C  The  Pope  excommunicates  the  king  of  France. 
1300    <   William  Tell  in  Switzerland. 

(_  Geneva  free,  writes  its  franchises. 
1400       John  Hussand  Jerome  of  Prague,  are  burned  alive  (by 

the  Papists)  for  Jesus  Christ. 
1453       Mahomet    takes    Constantinople,    and    destroys    the 

Eastern  empire. 
1500        Commencement  of  the  Reformation. 
1516       The  blessed  reformation  of  the  church  begins  in  the 
West. 
Henry  IV.,  in  France,  dies  in  10  years. 
Elizabeth,  in  England,  dies  in  3  years. 
1600    J  Theodore  Beza,  at  Geneva,  dies  in  5  years. 
The  Escalade  against  Geneva,  in  2  years. 
The  Protestants  persecuted  in  France.     Voltaire  born 
si.t  years  before.   J.J.  Rousseau  born  in  Geneva,  1712. 
C  Bonaparte,  First  Consul,  having  conquered  at  Marengo, 
iQQQ  J      is  crowned  by  the  Pope  in  4  years. 
''      y  Missionary  Society,  founded  in  England  9  years  before. 
C.  Bible  Society,  four  years  after. 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE. 


Before  J.  c. 

610.  The  good  king  Josiah  dies,  aged  37,  after  a  reign  of  31  years 

At  his  death,  Jeremiah,  son  of  Hilkiah,  the  priest,  is  40  years  o* 
age,  and  has  already  prophesied  18  years. 

Ezekiel  the  priest  14  years  of  age. 

Daniel,  prince  of  Judah,  11  years  of  age. 

Pharaoh  Necho,  at  the  end  of  three  months,  leads  away 
Jehoahaz  the  son  of  Josiah,  into  Egypt,  and  puts  in  his  place 
Jehoiakim. 

609.  Jeremiah  having  uttered  menacing  prophecies  in  the 
temple,  is  seized  by  the  priests,  Jer.  xxvi.,  xxvii. 

608.  Urijah,  the  prophet,  is  slain  by  Jehoiakim,  2  Kings  xxiii; 
2  Chron.  xxvi. 

607.  The  young  Nebuchadnezzar,  is  associated  with  his  father 
on  the  throne. 

He  lays  siege  to  Jerusalem,  Dan.  1.  1. 

He  carries  away  Daniel  and  other  young  nobles,  to  Babylon. 

606.  Nebuchadnezzar  defeats  Pharaoh,  and  takes  him  prisoner 
at  Carchemish,  ou  the  Euphrates,  Jer.  xxv.  1,  3;  1.  1,  4.  Jere- 
miah having  prophesied  23  years,  predicts  a  desolation  of  70  years, 
Jer.  xxv.  1,  3,  &  1.  1,  4. 

605.  The  father  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  dies  in  the  Spring. 

Jehoiakim  (in  the  ninth  month)  cut?  with  a  penknife  and 
throws  into  the  fire,  the  book  of  prophecy  which  Jeremiah  had 
given  to  Baruch.  God  denounces  against  him  terrible  judgments, 
Jer.  xxxvi.  9,  22. 

604.  Daniel  is  presented  to  the  king. 

The  terrible  dream  of  the  image  is  sent  to  Nebuchadnezzar. 

Jehoiakim  revolts  against  him. 

Nebuchadnezzar  sends  his  armies  to  destroy  Judah,  2  Kings 
xxiv.  2. 

603.  Daniel  and  his  friends  are  promoted  to  high  offices  in  the 
state. 

601.  Cyaxares  called  in  Scripture,  Darius  the  Mede,  destined  by 
God  one  day  to  overthrow  with  Cyrus  the  empire  of  the  Medes 
and  Persians,  is  born  among  the  mountains  of  Media. 

604.  Cyrus  destined  by  God  to  inflict  severe  judgments,  is  born 
among  the  mountains  of  Persia. 

599.  Jehoiakim,  after  three  years  and  a  half  resistance,  is 
loaded  with  chains,  and  ends  his  days  miserably.  His  body  is 
cast  out  in  the  highway  like  that  of  an  ass,  2  Kings  xxiv.  2  Chron. 
xxvi;  Jer.  xxii.  16,  19, 

599.  Jehoiakim  his  son  (ill-treated  Jeremiah)  who  succeeds 


354  CHRONOLOGICAL    TABLE. 

Before  j.  c. 

him,  only  reigns  three  months  and  ten  days.  He  is  loaded  with 
chains  and  carried  away  captive  into  Babylon,  by  Nebuchadnez- 
zar, who  took  Jerusalem  in  the  eighth  year  of  his  reign,  2  Kines 
xxiv.  12.  =   '  & 

Zedekiah,  his  uncle,  son  of  the  good  Josiah,  is  established  on 
the  throne  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  to  whom  he  swears  fealty  in  the 
name  of  God,  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  10,  13;  Jer.  xxii.  IS,  19. 

Jeremiah  has  his  vision  of  the  figs,  Jer.  xxiv.  L 

595.  Ezekiel  the  priest,  the  son  of  Buzi,  begins  to  prophecy  at  the 
age  of  30  years,  by  the  river  Chebar.  He  sees  the  heavens  open 
and  has  visions  from  God. 

690.  Zedekiah,  in  the  third  year  of  his  reign,  revolts  against  Ne- 
buchadnezzar, who  marches  with  his  whole  army  against  Jeru- 
Baiem,  Ezek.  xxiv.  1,  2;  xvi.  12,  20;  xxi.  22,  27;  Jer.  lii.  4;  2 
Kings  XXV.  1 ;  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  13. 

JVebuchadnezzar  withdraws  from  Jerusalem  for  some  time,  in 
order  to  encounter  the  king  of  Esrvpt,  Jer.  xxxvii.  5. 

589.  Nebuchadnezzar  defeats  Pharaoh. 

Jeremiah  is  shut  up  in  the  court  of  the  prison. 

588.  Jerusalem  after  a  frightful  siege  (Jer.  xxxiv.)  is  taken  on 
the  seventh  day  of  the  ninth  month.  Aug.  The  temple  is  burned, 
the  kmg's  sons  are  slain  before  his  eyes  ;  he  himself  is  deprived 
of  his  sight  and  carried  away  to  Babylon. 

Jeremiah  is  taken  out  of  the  dungeon  by  order  of  Nebuchadnez- 
zar, Jer.  xxxix.  2.  lii.  8,  12 ;  2  Kings  xxv.  3,  4,  8 ;  2  Chron.  xxxvi 
17,  21. 

Obadiah  prophecies. 

587.  Jeremiah  is  carried  into  Eeypt,  Jer.  xliii.  6,  10,  13.  THe 
then  predicts  the  taking  of  the  kingdom,  by  Nebuchadnezzar. 

584.  Nebuchadnezzar  carries  away  new  captives  into  Chaldea. 

583.  The  three  friends  of  Daniel  are  thrown  into  the  fiery  furnace. 

572.  Ezekiel  prophecies  that  God  will  give  Egypt  to  Nebuchad- 
nezzar, as  his  hire  for  his  trouble  in  his  war  against  Tyre,  Ezek. 
xxix.  17,  20. 

The  powerful  Tyre  taken  by  JiTebuchadnezzar,  after  a  siege  of 
thirteen  years. 

Egypt  and  its  immense  treasures  fall  into  his  hands. 

571.  His  heart  being  lifted  up  by  so  much  prosperitv,  he  learns, 
by  a  terrible  dream  that  he  shall  shortly  lose  his  reason,  and  be- 
come like  the  brutes  for  seven  years,  Dan.  iv. 

570.  Nebuchadnezzar  becomes  deranged. 

563.  He  is  restored,  and  gives  God  the  glory. 

562.  He  dies  after  a  reign  of  forty-three  years,  and  of  unrivalled 
prosperity.  His  successor  Evil-Merodach,  re-establishes  Jehoia- 
chin  in  the  12th  month,  of  the  37th  year  of  his  captivity,  Jer.  xxv. 
12;  2  Kings  xxv.  27. 

558.  Cyrus,  son  of  a  Persian  prince  and  Median  princess,  unites 
whh  Cyaxaresthe  Mede,  against  Babylon.  He  kills  the  king  of 
Babylon  in  battle. 

555.  Belshazzar,  grandson  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  ascends  the 
throne, 

Daniel  has  his  famous  vision  of  the  four  wild  beasts  in  Babylon, 
Dan,  vii. 


CHRONOLOGICAL    TABLE.  355 

Before  J.  c. 

553.  At  Susa,  the  capital  of  Persia,  Daniel  has  his  vision  of  the 
rough  he-goat,  and  of  the  king  of  Grascia  concerning  the  daily 
eacrifices  and  the  transgression  which  causeth  desolation,  viii, 

541.  Cyrus  having  conquered  all  Asia,  Imjs  sieire  to  Babylon. 

538.  Belshazzar,  on  the  night  after  his  grand  feast,  sees  the 
figure  of  a  man's  hand  write  upon  the  wall.  Babylon  is  surprised 
and  taken  the  same  night.  Cyaxares,  called  Darius  the  Mede, 
uncle  to  Cyrus,  aged  62  years,  reigns  over  the  united  empires  of 
Medes  and  Persians,  Dan.  v.  31. 

Daniel  fasts  and  prays  in  reading  Jeremiah. 

He  receives  the  prediction  of  the  seventy  weeks. 

537.  Daniel  is  thrown  into  the  den  of  lions. 

536.  Cyrus  succeeds  Darius  the  Mede. 

The  decree  of  Cyrus  for  the  restoration  of  the  Jews. 

535.  First  altar  rebuilt  at  Jerusalem,  Ezra  iii.  17. 

534.  Laying  of  the  foundation  of  the  Temple,  Ezra  viii.  13. 

Daniel's  last  vision,  Dan.  x.  xii. 

530.  Cyrus  dies. 

515.  Dedication  of  the  Temple,  Ezra  vi.  14,  22. 

464.  Artaxerxes  becomes  king. 

459.  He  marries  Esther. 

457.  He  issues  a  decree  in  the  seventh  year  of  his  reign  in 
favour  of  Jerusalem,  Ezra  vii. ;  Dan.  ix.  24.  ' 

445.  Nehemiah  goes  to  Jerusalem. 

420.  Malachi,  the  last  of  the  prophets,  preaches  at  Jerusalem. 


DATE  DUE 


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PRINTED  IN  US    A. 

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The  Prophet  Daniel:  considered  in  a 

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